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By Prantik Deka
In
a heartwarming news, 'Dhulia Culture of Old Kamrup (Assam)', a
26-minute long documentary, based on the traditional folk-art form of
Assam, researched, produced and directed by Dr Aparna Buzarbarua under
the banner of Rohini Production, has won the Best Documentary Award at
the International Short Film Festival Award, which took place at the
Swami Vivekananda Auditorium in Kolkata, recently. The award comprises a
trophy, a memento, a medal and a certificate.
It's
our ultimate priority and an obligation to strengthen and elevate our
age-old rich cultural heritage, speakers at the event said. The onus is
on the responsible members of the society to protect and keep our
culture alive by means of preservation.
People cannot afford
to neglect and alienate the arts, which are such invaluable resources,
with apathy and indifference, but this is exactly what is happening with
the dhulia culture of Assam, an age-old folk art which is diminishing
rapidly as a result of dwindling interest and distaste among the young
people, amidst the invading onslaught of modernisation and Western
culture.
"I have tried to highlight the past and the present
forms of Kamrupia Dhulia culture, various problems plaguing the
community, etc, through the documentary. It is very important that we
preserve this unique culture properly," Dr Aparna Buzarbarua said.
An
ancient art form, the genesis of which can be traced as far back as the
Vedic era, as the records confirm the practices of people dancing and
acting during that time in India, the antecedents of Dhulia culture can
be found in the choirs and the puppet shows performed in ancient times.
During
the Middle Age period, there were two types of art forms and
dramaturgy, which flourished in India. One is performed in Sanskrit and
the other is a folk form. But the folk based performances are much older
than the Sanskrit ones. These two art forms were believed to be the
roots of many consequent popular folk art forms, one of them is the
Dhulia culture of Kamrup. Initially confined to the temples, later on,
with time, the Kamrupia Dhulia performances became prevalent in various
public meetings and religious ceremonies.
It's a group
performance, which consists of several notable elements, including
playing drums, presentation of songs, dances, acrobatic performances,
satirical skits, dramas and circus under its fold. Each group consists
of about seven to ten drummers. Along with the drums, they use various
traditional instruments like cymbals and a fife in their performances.
In
each group, there are some acrobats, capable of doing 20 to 25
acrobatics at a time, which are similar to those found in a modern
circus. The documentary shows such performers showcasing rare
expressions of strength and agility by holding and spinning a bicycle
with their teeths, which are covered in careful detail.
The
songs and skits are self composed and folk based. The skits performed
in the colloquial language have found instant appeal with the audiences
due to their engaging qualities.
'Dhulia Culture of Old Kamrup
(Assam)' focuses on the origins and the evolution of the art form as
well as its current position in Assamese culture. A mentor-disciple
learning culture, Dhulia culture is basically transmitted down from one
generation to the other, but in the contemporary times, young people are
least interested in this culture, which has lost much of its sheen.
The
documentary also prominently highlights the works of late Mohan Chandra
Barman, better known as Mohan Bhaira, the renowned Sangeet Natak
Akademi Awardee drummer and actor, who dedicated his life to the cause
of Kamrupia Dhulia culture.
A leading exponent of Dhuliya
culture in Assam, Bhaira developed an early interest in the culture, and
joined a Dhulia group at the age of four. A visionary, who was
extremely well-versed in all aspects of society, Bhaira was often
considered the most creative performer who brought a tremendous amount
of respect to the traditional Dhulia culture, raising its status on a
national level.
More often than not, drummers are forced to
live very meagre lives. They can't always depend on their Dhulia
performances for their livelihood. They are often forced to do odd jobs
here and there. At various times, the financial strain of being out of
work weighs heavily on their families. Bhaira, too, had to undergo
extreme financial difficulties in his life. As he mostly performed in
festivals or on special occasions, the rest of the time, he kept himself
busy by cultivating, and taking care of poultry.
An
honest effort has been made through this documentary to bring back the
focus to the performing artistes hailing from the less privileged
backgrounds and communities, who have survived the effects of modernity
and commercialisation, and their ceaseless determination to find
imaginative ways of attracting wide and varied audiences.
This
documentary has basically been targeted to people across India and
beyond with a hope that there would be stakeholders who would be willing
to support the artistes to bring back their glory.
Dr Aparna
Buzarbarua deserves immense praise and appreciation for bringing the
unique Dhulia culture of Kamrup to the limelight through this
documentary.
An accomplished music composer of the state, Dr
Aparna Buzarbarua made this documentary with the funds that she received
from the Silpi Award conferred by the state government in 2022.
"In
2004, I was invited to inaugurate the Kamrupia Dhulia show in the
Gitanagar Ras Festival on the second evening of their three-day
function. I was really mesmerised to see their performance, but was
equally very sad when I came to know about their economic hardships," Dr
Buzarbarua said.
"When I stepped onto the
stage to receive the award, the anchor looked at me in amazement, and
being overwhelmed, he asked about my age. After knowing that I am 78
plus, he said, 'You are really an inspiration for the new generation',
and requested the audience to join him in giving a huge round of
applause to me. I truly feel honoured by this gesture, and this will be a
memorable day for me as this is the first documentary of my life," she
added.
Born and brought up in a culturally enriching
environment in Tezpur, Dr Aparna Buzarbarua started her illustrious
career as a Botany teacher at the Cotton College in 1969, and remained
there till she retired as the Head of the Deptt in 2003. Dr Buzarbarua,
who earned her Visharad degree in sitar from Bhatkande Sangeet
Vidyapith, Lucknow, in the year 1981, has been regularly practicing
Hindustani Classical music on the Sitar since 1971.
Dr
Bujarbarua, who has composed over 100 songs, collaborating with diverse
eminent lyricists from the state, most of them recognized by All India
Radio, has a rare distinction of being the first recognized female music
director of AIR Guwahati in the year 2008. She has also authored a
number of books.
It may be recalled that Dr Buzarbarua has
also made generous financial contributions in the construction of a
beautiful library built in memory of her husband Nagendra Nath
Buzarbarua at the Kanya Mahavidyalaya in Guwahati's Geeta Nagar.
'Dhulia
Culture of Old Kamrup (Assam)'s technical director is Manash Hazarika,
who has also scored the background music, while the editing has been
done by Antareep Hazarika, and the cinematography is by Sazzad Hussain.
The film's coordinators are Hirak Jyoti Sharma and Antara Buzarbarua.
The camera operators are Jishan Mandal and Avinash Chowdhury.
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