Rajani Basumatary's 'Gorai Phakhri' Released, Highlights Women's Struggles in Conflict-Torn Bodoland; Gets Huge Applause From Viewers

KOKRAJHAR: The much-anticipated film ‘Gorai Phakhri’ (Wild Swan), the 3rd film of Rajani Basumatary was released today in different cinema halls. The film is released and unilaterally shown at Gold Cinema, Kokrajhar, Universal Cinema, Chapaguri, Bongaigaon, Pabhoi Talkies, Biswanath Chariali, Saya Cinema Hall, Tangla, PVR City centre, Christian Basti, Guwahati and Cinepolis Central mall, Christian Basti, Guwahati. However, sources said the Delight Gold Cinema, Rangia had avoided to show the Bodo film.

This is the first Bodo film with all female artistes with a brilliant story on traumatic effects of armed struggle in the society especially among the women. A film by Janni Viswanath & Manna Films directed by Ms. Rajani Basumatary who is also the script writer focused on how the armed struggle left social trauma especially among the innocent tribal women in remote villages. The film exposed the infliction of decades long armed struggle on women folk who are overlooked in every space in the society. The story just puts the name of the male counterpart only in the dialogue but no face is visible at all. The story is made on women with sensible characters who played key roles to wind up the film with the re-union of minds and souls of splitting families due to various reasons.

Set in the foothills of Bodoland near Bhutan border in the Northeast India, the story explores the lives of women in a patriarchal society recovering from decades of armed conflict in the region. Their experiences of repression and fighting back are interwoven.

In the story, one Preeti, a doctoral student from the city, comes to the village for her fieldwork. Her romantic ideas of rural life are crushed after witnessing the effects that militarization and patriarchy have on the everyday lives of these women. Mainao’s husband, a separatist leader, was killed by the security personnel while Gaodang’s husband is a soldier in the Indian army posted along the country’s border. Once inseparable friends between Mainao and Gaodang, they are now struggling with the bitter legacies left behind by their husbands. Middle-aged Malothi  was gang raped by an armed patrol one night and her husband Rakhao Mahajwn abandons her, labelling her “unclean”. Finally, she decided to live alone in a new small hut in a corner of the village by managing her livelihood by selling home grown agri-products. The husband of one Bimali (Rajani Basumatary) is also an extensive drunkard, always set to brawl with his wife and brings unpleasant situation at home while one Sailen, son of a well to do family of the village post semi nude photo of Sonathi, daughter of Gaodang in the social media and goes viral. Preeti, the PhD scholar came across all these family problems and was compelled to encounter them. In the ending part of the film, Sonathi could become a meritorious student, both Gaodang and Mainao become inseparable friends as earlier, Bimali’s husband becomes good man by realizing the harmful impact of excessive drinking and Rakhao Mahajwn also returned to his wife’s new home after realizing his misdeeds on his wife.

After the end of the film, the director and script writer Ms. Rajani Basumatary while talking to media persons, said Gorai Fakhri was her 3rd film. She said she was happy to see the viewer’s pleasure with the film on the first show and hoped that the people of the region will watch the film enthusiastically and encourage the producers and team Gorai Fakhri. She also said she received huge applause in an earlier film - “Jwlwi” and similarly the Gorai Fakhri is also set to enlist in public demand.

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