Jwngdao Bodosa–Jewel for Bodo silver screen

Prior to the release of Alayaron–The Dawn (1986), the first Bodo film feature film, the name of Jwngdao Bodosa was never heard by the people and when the movie won the Rajat Kamal award in 1986 Bodosa became a household name. In the last two decades Bodosa has not only earned a name for himself as a successful producer–director but has also made a mark as a choreographer and scrip writer. Alayaron is considered to be the most popular Bodo film of all times and can be considered as the founding pillar of Bodo film industry. Success of Alayaron was followed by the hits like Khwmsi Lama, Hagramayao Jinahari, Gwdan Muga and Golden Cocoon etc.

Born in July 13, 1959 at Bhergami (now in Udalguri district), Bodosa is the son of late Radhika Ranjan Brahma and Harani Brahma. He completed his schooling from Kokrajhar and higher secondary from Shillong. After completing his mass communication from Mumbai in 1982, he enrolled himself at the Pune based Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) and specialized in film direction.

“When I was in college, I saw that films were made in almost all major Indian languages, but no films were made in Bodo language. I felt the need of making films in Bodo language and this motivated me towards making one. But I didn’t have any contact with any filmmaker so to materialize my dream I first wanted to learn the technique of filmmaking myself and hence I decided to join FTII or any such institute. In 1981 there was no entrance exam for FTII. In a magazine I happen to notice one line mention about Xavier’s Institute of Mass Communication (XIC), Mumbai and blindly I wrote a letter addressing to XIC. I received a reply from XIC about admission procedure and somehow I managed to do the one year basic filmmaking course at XIC (1981–82),” replied Bodosa when asked as what inspired him to choose film as a carrier.
Beginning of project

During the first two years of his three years stay at FTII, Bodosa learnt all aspect of filmmaking like cinematography, editing, and sound & film direction etc.
“It was only in the third and the final year which was specialized in film direction. My intention of making a Bodo film was so strong that after 3rd semester (one and half year) I started making Alayaron (The Dawn) with the help of some local financer from Kokrajhar,” said the ace Bodo filmmaker while talking as how the shooting of Alayaron began.

“The mahurat shot was taken in March 13 1984 and the film was released in March 13 1986 at Ganga Talkies, Kokrajhar. By then I also completed my FTII course,” Bodosa further added.
Alayaron scaled new heights of popularity amongst the Bodo audience and it was screened for over a month at Kokrajhar. The public demand was such that during the first two weeks, sometimes even 4–5 shows a day were screened. Sharing his views on his projects, Bodosa said besides filmmaking nowadays he is more involve with 3D animation.
“I have already produced 14 episodes 3D short animation film for Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati based on folk tales. I’m trying my best to acquire 3D technology and looking forward to explore the world market. I have some 3D feature film projects at a developing stage and want to explore it a bit differently. It may not be making straight forward 3D animated feature film but start with graphic novel and finish with 4D animated feature film,” he said.
On future of Bodo film industry
When asked if the Bodo films including the video films have a bright future and whether the artistes can chose a career in the film industry, he said “I do think there is a great possibility and bright future for Bodo media and entertainment industry if proper planning and execution are implemented. Although the Bodo film industry is over 25 years old, yet it has not developed much. Similarly was the case with Assamese film industry when it was 25 years old, it too was not much developed and even after celebrating its Golden and Diamond jubilee Assamese film industry is facing similar problems. If the present trends goes on Bodo film industry will also face similar problem even after 50 years. I am very concerned about these aspects and so constantly look out for innovative plans and projects, so that in the coming 25–50 years Bodo media and entertainment industry won’t be similar as what we are experiencing at present.”
Role of BTC to develop film industry
Replying to a question what step should BTC take to promote culture and develop film industry in Bodoland, he said to develop media and entertainment industry in Bodoland, the people or the society should come forward and initiate with innovative plan and project for drastic change. The government can only help or enhance the project.
He said he received some grant for “Golden Cocoon” a Bodo–English feature film which is now in post–production stage. When asked regarding his favourite film and favourite actors Bodosa said Akira Kurosawa is his favourite director and all of his films are very special for him.
“Film or media & entertainment industry is very powerful in many aspects and if proper media plan and projects are implemented it can change socio economy of Bodoland. Say for example in Bodoland you cannot think to set up a heavy car industry and export the products. But you can think of setting up a 3D animation studio and produce animation film and export it as well. The creative people are locally available and computer hardware is also affordable,” Bodosa said when asked about the impact of films towards changing the Bodo society.
Message to youths
Bodosa is an inspiration to a number of youth who aspires to become a filmmaker. He believes that the youth should be sincere in their intention and must be aware of all aspects starting with creativity to technical and marketing to carry on long and survive.
“The youths who choose their carrier in the film industry should be hard working and highly ambitious,” he said.
Home / Articles/Blog / BODO FILMS History, Present Status & Future Prospects.
BODO FILMS History, Present Status & Future Prospects.
in Articles/Blog June 8, 2015 0
BODO FILMS History, Present Status & Future Prospects.
Introduction
Bodos are one of the original inhabitants in the state of Assam and North East India.They are a vibrant community with their unique way of life.They constitute the second largest population in Assam.Included in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, the Bodos have their own language, culture and literature.
Origin
The first full length Bodo Feature Film is “Alayaron” (The Dawn) which was released in the year 1986. It
was directed by Jwngdao Bodosa. It won the National Award for Best Feature Film in the regional category in the year 1986. However, “Daina”, a documentary directed by Amar Hazarika was released before “Alayaron”. It was Based on the Witch-Craft practice amongst the villagers.
Jwngdao Bodosa
Born in 13 July, 1959 at Bhergami, Udalguri District. An FTII Pune passed out, directed the first ever Bodo Feature Film “Alayaron”(1986).
Which won the best National Award for Best Feature Film in the regional category in the year 1986.

Apart from Alayaron, he also directed “HagramayaoJinahari, (Rape in the Virgin Forest)” (1996) which won the National Award for the Best Environmental Film in same year.
He also directed Gwdan Muga (2001), a Bodo Film.
Present status of Bodo Films

After Alayaron almost all feature films have decreased and VCD films are increasing and VCD film production gave birth to Piracy which is major reason for low investment returns. Due to poor financial condition Bodo film industry is deprived of better technology.
Due to lack of audience and cinema hall Bodo film production is decreasing day by day. Present status of Bodo Films There are no proper cinema halls to screen Bodo Films. Only 1 exists, that is Bagurumba Video Hall, in Runikhata, Chirang District. Due to this producers are unable to retrive the amount they invest. As a result they are unable to pay properly to actors.
CINEMA HALLS

Present status of Bodo Films
Due to low payments, Bodo people are hesitant to take up acting as a profession. This has led to the crisis of proper Bodo actors. Also, within the Bodo community,only 50% people watch Bodo films, which is yet another reason of its decline.
The Bodo Film Makers makes films just before festive seasons and they go for Film touring during festive seasons. They visit villages and screen their films using projectors and somehow retrive the invested amount.

Improvements Required
Bodo films should be technologically advanced on a regional level in order to make its presence felt regionally and nationally. The story, scripts, directions and the talent should be prepared with a motive to match the standards of modern day film making. There should be as many as 20 mini cinema halls for BTC to screen Bodo Films.
There shuld be a Drama School to train and teach aspirants from the Bodo Community who aspires to
become a Bodo actor/ actrees. With the increase of globalization regional identities are becoming more important as they think it is important to preserve one’s own identity and also take pride.
Such is the case with the Bodo film industry that is striving to keep its identity intact from the outside forces. The Bodo film industry has been struggling in the recent past with the coming of new technologies that give access to global information and entertainment.
People like Jwngdao Bodosa, Anamika Basumatary , Chiraz Baglary, Bikash Basumatary etc.. have been
instrumental in not only reviving the Bodo film industry but have won national and international
acclamation through their films.

HAGRAMA CRITICIZES BODOLAND DEMAND OF ABSU
Comments
BTC Chief Hagrama Mohilary’s statement has indeed desecrated Bodofa UN Brahma’s dream. Having heard his self-destructive verbal jargon, I feel there is no reason to let our revolutionary spirit down rather we should lift up the spirit and celebrate this day for he has finally scripted his downfall. Should we not rejoice and say, “Thou shall not rise again? A lost sheep!” His unseasoned raucous and noisy rhetoric should not create any unnecessary tremor. Frankly, Hagrama is neither a spokesperson nor a leader of the community who commands wide respect. He is just a politician, and politicians have the art of surprising people. At times, they are adept in exploiting people’s emotions. What is being circused in Kokrajhar today is one of his many political misadventures. It is second in the series. Last year, if I am not factually wrong, he made a similar ridiculous tongue twisting exercise saying, “only the NDFB is fighting for Bodoland” in a public gathering in Udalguri. Such noises will keep flowing in the comings days.
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Bodoland movement is a poll gimmick: Mohilary
BY OUR BUREAU
GUWAHATI/KOKRAJHAR, September 7: Dropping a bombshell, BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary on Saturday said that the demand for separate Bodoland is just a poll gimmick and the entire movement for the same will die down as soon as the notification for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections is announced. Addressing a public meeting at Kokrajhar, Mohilary stated that Delhi, Dispur and even the organizations like the ABSU, BPF and others which have been agitating for the separate Bodoland demand are well aware that Assam will not be divided further to create separate States. “The Bodoland movement is just a ploy of the Congress–led government both at Delhi and Dispur to defeat BPF in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. With the announcement of the notification for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Bodoland statehood movement will automatically end,” Mohilary said, adding, “The Bodoland movement is a politically motivated one.” According to Mohilary, there is right now no question of creation of separate States in the country as the Congress–led UPA government has not taken any concrete steps in this regard. The BTC chief, however, urged the people of ‘Bodoland’ to maintain peace and social harmony.

The man who people mistakenly treated as a leader has proved himself a political novice who does not have any imagination to lead the masses. His today’s tongue twisting exercise has already scripted his downfall- a reason for celebration. It is upto the people when and how to celebrate the dead of his immature political innings. The empire he imagined to erect will also go down in history- a chapter that will have no readership.

The un-unanimity among the Bodo political parties and other social organisations having ‘BODOLAND MOVEMENT’ has really disappointed the common Bodo people.Truly speaking, it was never expected.what common people expected was unity and no more division among themselves.It’s true, having a separate homeland is not an easy matter but at the same time there is nothing to loss confidence since we’ve our rights and provisions in the constitution.Many of our heroes have sacrificed their lives for the sake of having own homeland and self determination without caring about their lives and families.so, now the question is, did their lives worth nothing and should we now drop the idea of having homeland merely for the selfish motives of the so called leaders????
A BIG NEVER…!! *We are born to be warriors and we’ll fight so long as we’ve the last drop of blood and breath in us. *Now what we need to do is to have patience and persevere with unity util we reach our Goal,a goal of having own homeland for self determination and we do know .. our goal is not at faraway. My brothers be a true HERO and never lose the spirit of HEROISM.

“JAI BORO HARINI”

A hosts of dumb illiterates the present BPF formerly BLT are the one who kicked off ABSU’s Bodoland movement and sold the Land Rights of Tribal Belt & Block in BTC area in the name of BTC accord in 2003 and that’s too without the consultation with Tribal Sangha of Assam. And now, again they have started to show their true colour by ditching Bodoland, the aspirations of Bodos.
Hagrama and his followers lack a clear and concrete vision for the future of Bodo nation and they do not have any plans and policy for Bodos outside the BTC. They seem to be so short sighted that they are in the illusion that the BTC itself is the Bodoland.
They need to be reminded that the so called BTC termed by Hagrama and his party is not BODOLAND TERRITORIAL COUNCIL, but BTCAD the BODOLAND TERRITORIAL COUNCIL AREA DISTRICT created out of 4/5 splitted districts, I repeat “Area District”, not Bodoland as they Boast of.
Hagrama and his party worth not more than the FROGS in the WEL who lacks a sound mentality to lead and rule BODOs the great nation, and this is the time that they need to be thrown and kick out, for the better future of our nation.

To all BPF leaders take care of bald head mohilary, if necessary take him to tezpur mental health hospital. Urgently and all BNC parties join him to visit mental clinic
Even BSS falls in the same line

“The revolutionary leaders must realise that their own conviction of the necessity for struggle (an indispensable dimension of revolutionary wisdom) was not given to them by anyone else – if it is authentic. This conviction cannot be packaged and sold; it is reached, rather by means of a totality of reflection and action. Only the leaders own involvement in reality, within an historical situation, let them to criticize this situation and to wish to change it.” by Paulo freire. Friends isn’t mohilary packaging and trying to sell Bodoland demand for vote politics he is failed revolutionary from history of BLT.
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Mangwnang Boro Rayjwfwr…Athikhalni Boroland swmaosarnaykhou jafunghwnwbla jwngni melemjibi eba intellectualfwra Harini thakhay wngkharbwnangwn arw gaokhou Baoswmnangwn Boro Harini thakhay arw Boro Harini boynibw nokhorni thakay…!! Jwngni Melemjibifra Boro Harini Khousethi labwnw Thakay gaoni mulamfakhou neosinanwi boynibw boro subungni thakay mengnay gwiyalase khamani maonangwn. Jwngni Gwrwng Gwra Melemjibifra gaswibw boro subungni bathrakhkou sannangwn. JwngKhou Khouse Khalamnangwn arw jwngjwng lwgwse Jujinangwn Harini Thwinay arw Thangnayni Daohayao. Angni Benw Aroj Iswra Jwngkhou modot khalamw arw Boro Harini Thangna Thanayni Thakhay Boybw jahate Jiuwi Mahamwi Modot hwyw. Jwi Boro Harini…!!
Jwi Boro Harini
Viv La Bodoland

Appropriate time for government to resolve Bodoland crisis’
• 18 hours ago

The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) on Wednesday sent lakhs of postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the creation of a separate Bodoland state. People from all walks of life including students, guardians and intellectuals, gathered at different places writing postcards to the Prime Minister on the issue of creation of a separate Bodoand state.
Participating in the programme in Kokrajhar, ABSU general secretary Lawrence Islary said that the BJP in its election manifesto in the last Lok Sabha election, made a bold commitment to bring about lasting solution of the long pending Bodoland issue, following which the entire Bodo mass extended unconditional support to the BJP, resulting in the party winning seven seats in the State. Islary said the ABSU sought direct intervention of the Prime Minister and a concrete policy decision for lasting solution of the Bodoland issue, and to hold talks with all movement groups at a political level and chalk out tangible policy strategy aiming to reach the point of lasting settlement of problems immediately so that peace can prevail.
The ABSU leader said the Bodo people had great hopes and expectations that the NDA government would initiate a concrete political process to arrive at an actual solution of the problem. “But after one year of the BJP in power, only a round of tri-partite talk, that also at bureaucratic level on June 9, was held, where nothing concrete came out,” the ABSU leader said.
The ABSU general secretary said that during the talk, it was clearly stated by the key representative of the Government of India that the political level was the only competent level to decide such a political issue like Bodoland statehood and therefore, the matter would be placed before the concerned minister. “As we understand the status of the present peace process, it is the appropriate time for the government to take a concrete policy decision and resolve the decade-long Bodoland crisis. The statement made by the bureaucrats during the talk was an expression of true limit of jurisdiction set for talk of that level for taking appropriate decision on such political issue. Therefore, we feel it necessary to initiate a process at political level and arrive at ultimate decision to concede the demands acceptable to all,” he said.
The ABSU general secretary also said that in the long nine years of negotiation with the NDFB (P), no concrete formula has been evolved by the government and hence the situation had further deteriorated. He opined that it was a welcome trend that almost all the extremist outfits, except a few, had expressed their willingness to have a negotiated settlement of the Bodoland problem. He said that it was now a concerted voice of both civil society and the extremist organizations in ceasefire that for peace and progress a negotiated settlement is a need of the hour.
“But it is a matter of great regret that such a generous approach of the movement groups has not been paid due impetus and taken as the advantage to resolve the issue. Such an apathy and dilly-delaying tactics on the part of the government in settling such a sensitive issue is complicating more the prospect of peace and prosperity in the region,” he said. The Sentinel, 15 July 2015.

Bodo Students send 2 lakh letters to PM Modi for Bodoland State creation.
KOKRAJHAR, JUL 16. 2015 11:30 PM IST

Snail mail may be passé for many, yet two lakh people sent letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a separate Bodoland, an issue that has moved at a snail’s pace for years. The letters, mostly written in Hindi and some English and Bodo, are a part of the All Bodo Students’ Union (Absu) programme drawing the attention of the Centre to the longstanding demand of the people of the Bodo belt for a separate state. Fifty thousand of these letters were despatched from Kokrajhar town alone. The students’ union, which is spearheading the demand for Bodoland, seeks intervention of the Prime Minister and a concrete policy on the statehood issue. Absu general secretary Lawrence Islary said Bodos had hoped that the NDA government would initiate a political process to solve the problem as the BJP, in its election manifesto in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, had made a commitment to bring about a lasting solution to the statehood issue. “However, in the past one year, only one round of tripartite talks, that too at the bureaucratic level, was held. But nothing concrete came of the meeting on June 9.” Islary said the key representative of the Centre said during the meeting that only the political level was competent to decide on the statehood issue and therefore, the matter would be placed before the minister concerned. “It is the appropriate time for the government to take a concrete policy decision and resolve the Bodoland crisis.”
On the peace talks with NDFB-P, Islary said in the nine years of negotiations with the outfit, the government has not come up with any concrete formula to resolve the Bodoland issue, hence the situation has deteriorated.
Stating that almost all the militant outfits, except a few, have expressed their willingness to have a settlement of the Bodoland problem, he said, “It is now a concerted voice of both civil society and the militant organisations in ceasefire that a settlement is worked out.”
However, “apathy and dilly-delaying tactics on the part of the government in settling such a sensitive issue is complicating the prospect of peace and prosperity in the region,” he said.
Participating at a programme in Kokrajhar, Didwm Basumatary, a Class XII student, said, “Bodoland is our ultimate demand and I feel proud to be a part of this agitation. I hope my letter reaches the Prime Minister and he concede to our legitimate demand.”