Noted singer, composer and actor Zubeen Garg was initially approached by the director Debangkar Borgohain to only compose music for Assamese action thriller, Sikaar, eventually he ended up playing the lead role.
Borgohain, during an interaction at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Sunday, remembered his meeting with Garg, who died in a freak scuba diving accident in Singapore, in which he made an offer to do music. Released in 2024, the film is being screened at the festival.
A vibrant cross-cultural dialogue unfolded as the cast and crew of three diverse films - Nilgiris: A Shared Wilderness, Mukkam Post Bombilwadi, and Sikaar - came together for a lively interaction marked by reflection, humour and heartfelt moments.
The session opened on an emotional note when Borgohain remembered his association with Garg of nearly two decades and recalled that he had initially approached the artiste only to compose the film’s music.
“He heard the story and said he wanted to act,” Borgohain said and added, “This is the last film of his to release while he was with us. It’s been 64 days since he passed. He would’ve been happy to be here today.”
Debangkar also reflected on the extraordinary production journey of Sikaar, the first Assamese film to be extensively shot abroad, with nearly 70 percent filmed in London. With most of the team unable to travel, the director worked remotely from Guwahati, often “sitting under mosquito nets” while guiding the shoot through livestreams.
On concerns regarding OTT visibility for regional films, Debangkar noted that while these platforms have expanded global access, they often fail to give regional cinema the spotlight it deserves.
Associate Producer of Nilgiris – A Shared Wilderness - Adarsh NC said that while OTT enquiries have been strong, the team wants audiences to experience ‘Nilgiris’ on the big screen.
“Many documentaries don’t make it to theatres, but ‘Nilgiris’ had a good run. OTT matters, but later,” he said.
Adarsh also spoke about the patience needed to create a wildlife documentary shot in 8K and 12K, capturing elusive species in a region shaped over billions of years.
“The stars of our film are the wildlife. They don’t arrive on time. There are no retakes,” he said, emphasising how three months could sometimes go into getting a single shot.
Mukkam Post Bombilwadi’s director Paresh Mokashi and producer Bharat Shitole discussed the challenge and delight of adapting their original stage play into a film set in 1942, where a quiet coastal Maharashtrian village finds itself tangled in both the freedom struggle and the chaos of World War II.
Sunday was the day of the festival which began with the grand closing of the 48-hour Challenge of Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT), capturing the exhaustion, relief, and elation of the young filmmakers as they presented their final works.
The highlight of the day was the much-anticipated Masterclass: 'Giving Up is NOT a Choice!'.
Legendary Actor and Speaker Anupam Kher held the audience spellbound at Kala Academy, delivering a powerful and motivational address that cemented the day's theme of resilience and passion.