Natasurya Phani Sarma's Creation adapted into Movie
Noted film critic Prantik Deka writes on the upcoming film, 'Keyo', scripted and directed by Aparup Agarwala.
The most encouraging news of the year was the announcement of the film adaptation of Natasurya Phani Sarma's classic play 'Keyo' (Why?). Natasurya's timeless creation will hit the big screen at the end of January next year, thanks to the persistent efforts of an unsung yet prominent representative of the current generation of Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwala's family.
Natasurya Phani Sarma's classic play 'Keyo', scripted and directed by Aparup Agarwala under the banner of Tezpur’s Sree Haribilash Movies, has already completed the shooting portion in various locations of Tezpur, and most recently, its editing work, too, has been wrapped up in Guwahati. Touted as a milestone in the Assamese film industry, this film is the creative brainchild of Aparup Agarwala, the artistic son of the late Bibekananda Agarwala, brother of Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwala.
Figure 1 Director with the cinematographer
Phani Sarma wrote the social drama "Keyo," inspired by his experience as an actor and the profound grief he felt at the news of his son's untimely death while acting on stage in upper Assam.
The story of ‘Keyo’ is based on the life of a struggling artist who spends his time and energy entertaining people with his artistic creations but receives very little compensation from society for his efforts. Barely making ends meet, he can't afford to call a doctor to attend to his seriously sick son, who needs medical attention. Stirring and heartbreaking, ‘Keya’ depicts the utter frustration of an artist as a result of a financial crisis and the gross negligence meted out to him by society.
Figure 2 Director with the cast and crew
“The story mirrors the sacrifice and the real-life struggle of Natasurya,” said Aparup Agarwala, who makes his debut as a filmmaker. Throughout his illustrious journey, Phani Sarma endured immense financial struggles. A socially responsible artist, Phani Sarma’s bitter disappointments in life resulted in the creation of the drama ‘Keya’, which is just as relevant today as it was when it was first performed. “The play itself is so relevant to the present scenario, grasping many of those socio-economic disparities and problems that beset modern society today,” Agarwala adds. Besides directing and scripting, Aparup Agarwala has also conceptualised and scored the film’s music. A noted socio-cultural activist and documentary filmmaker, Aparup Agarwala has been quite active in the cultural field. As an empanelled director at Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati, he has produced and directed several acclaimed TV serials and documentaries under the banner of Sree Haribilash Movies. He has also produced a docu-feature ‘Cotton College’ and audio CDs of Jyoti-Sangeet. He has published a rare book of western staff notations on Jyoti-Sangeet, the first of its kind on Jyotiprasad Agarwala's music, as a result of his sincere commitment to upholding the legacy of Rupkonwar.
Figure 3 Lead actors
After wrapping up the film's editing, the team will soon begin work on the background score. Initially, director Aparup Agarwala planned to release the film on Silpi Divas, an annual celebration on January 17. However, due to the release of several other Assamese films on that day, he is now considering releasing the film on 31st January, which is also the birth anniversary of Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha.
The film 'Keyo' features cinematography by the experienced Sumon Dowerah, art direction by Kulen Borah, sound design by Debajit Gayan, editing by Jhulan Krishna Mahanta, costumes by Sumon Riya Phukon, choreography by Mitali Dutta Borthakur, and makeup by Arup Das. The film’s chief assistant director is Ronal. Manash Hazarika arranged the music, while Lonismita Devi and Dikshit Mahanta performed the playback singing. The various roles in the film are enacted by a number of new and upcoming faces, including Partha Dutta, Primrose Saikia, Udayan Goswami, Naba Barua, Bhupen Sarma, Sujeet Sarma, Ujjal Saikia, Palashree Das, Preety Khound Mahanta, Prashanta Borah, Anima Kalita Bordoloi, Rasmita Bhuyan, Tilak Nath, Purbashree Agarwala, Minu Tibrewal, and Bhargav Kalita Bora, among others.
Figure 4 film still
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