Assam’s Animated Documentary 'Lachit The Warrior' Screened At Cannes 2024 in the ‘Online Screening Section’

With its reputation for high quality and vision, the  77th edition of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, which began on May 14, continues to celebrate global cinema, with a notable presence of Indian films in various sections. It's always a goal for filmmakers to obtain the necessary funds to complete their projects, but another factor that spurs them on is to find international buyers or distributors to enable them to circulate their films in theatres around the world.

This time around, the market at the Cannes features more than 4,000 films and projects from 140 countries.

Several events run in tandem with the main festival, but at separate locations.

Also this year, the festival’s Online Screening section, another avenue for short films to be seen by a wider audience, featured the Assamese animated film 'Lachit – The Warrior', a historical film that has captured the attention of international viewers.

Directed by Assam IGP Parthasarathi Mahanta and produced by Mina Mahanta and Indrani Baruah, 'Lachit – The Warrior' was showcased on May 18.

Narrated by noted educationist Dr. Amarjyoti Choudhury, the 19-minute-long animation film is Parthasarathi Mahanta's paean to Lachit Borphukan on the occasion of the great warrior's 400th birth anniversary.

Mahanta's film explores the life and work of Lachit Borphukan, a distinguished military commander of seventeenth-century Assam, including his tactics and brilliant leadership of the Ahom army. 

Known for his strategic brilliance in warfare and unwavering patriotism, Lachit’s story is a pivotal chapter in Indian history.

The film chronologically narrates the unfolding of events, starting with the Ahom kingdom’s struggles in the 1660s, marked by significant defeats to the Mughal forces, to the launching of a series of onslaughts against the marauding Mughals.

Determined to wrest back huge swatches of territories, the Ahom king appoints Lachit Borphukan to lead the military efforts. The film vividly depicts key historical events, including the recapture of Guwahati in 1667, the Battle of Alaboi in 1669, and the climactic Battle of Saraighat in 1671, where Lachit’s leadership led to a decisive victory over the Mughals.

'Lachit – The Warrior' emphasizes the impact of Lachit Borphukan’s leadership on the region’s history and geography, bringing his story to a global platform through Cannes.

The festival also featured other Indian films in the Online Screening section, including 'In Search of Sunshine' (Kuch Alagsa) by Eon Films, 'Satyashodhak' by Nilesh Jalamkar, 'Navras Katha Collage' by Praveen Hingonia, 'Poyyamozhi' by Anna Sudhi, 'Am I a Hero' by Khatib Mohamed, and 'Lajja The Shame' by Mohan Das.