Film made in Assam among top 3 at Durgapur International Film Festival' 24

Guwahati, Sept 26: A short film ‘Dhyaan,' made in Hindi with an Assamese cast and crew and shot in Assam's pristine locations, has been selected as one of the top three finalists at the Durgapur International Film Festival 2024. The result will be declared on September 26, 2024 at Dr. Triguna Sen Auditorium, Jadavpur University, Kolkata. The festival will feature films from over 20 countries, including the US, France, Korea, Canada, and Bangladesh.

Based on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-a common learning challenge, found in children, the film aims to create awareness among parents, teachers, as well as students, about ADHD. Directed by Mirza Arif Hazarika and written and produced by Jyotsna Neog, Dhyaan has already created ripples after bagging the 2nd Runner Up title in the 'Let's Include' category at India's only Oscar qualifying film festival - Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) 2024. 'Let's Include' is a newly launched category which stands for inclusivity and promotes films based on people having physical and mental challenges or disorders.

The 29-minute film was also adjudged Best Short Film at the Tagore International Film Festival 2024 where Kaustav Bharadwaj (child artiste) and Mirza Arif Hazarika (director) were conferred the titles of Best Actor and Best Director, respectively. Moreover, among other accolades, Dhyaan was selected as a finalist (second in merit) at the Korea International Short Film Festival 2024.

The short film has Udayan Duarah, Snigdha Gogoi and Kaustav Bharadwaj (child artiste) in leading roles. Late actor Spandan Borthakur, Maniraj Borthakur, Nirju Baruah, Happy Phukan, Taysha Bordoloi (child artiste) Manasvi Sirpal (child artiste), Jyotsna Neog and Mirza Arif Hazarika have acted in supporting roles.

Although the film avoids giving out medical or technical jargons, it ends on a tragic note, tugging at the audience's heartstrings. The writer and producer, Jyotsna Neog, feels it is important for our society to gain awareness about learning challenges such as ADHD in children so that such children are not bullied. In an exclusive interaction with The Assam Tribune, Neog informs, "Since it's a short film, it won't be possible to release Dhyaan in halls. However, we will approach the Education Ministry to make our film available to school students, their parents, and teachers of even the remotest villages of our State so that children with ADHD get support from their eco- system. We intend to screen the film at Jyoti Chitraban, Guwahati this winter but the date hasn't been fixed yet. Also, we shall try to feature it on an OTT platform for the urban viewers."

Commenting on the film's success, director Mirza Arif Hazarika says, "This achievement is not just mine alone but a testament to the collective effort and passion that each member of my team brought to the work every single day and especially the child artistes of our team. There have been moments of doubt and obstacles along the way, but I have learned that with hard work, determination, and a supportive team, anything is possible."

Hazarika and Neog have been invited to the India Inclusion Summit (IIS) on November 16, 2024. IIS is a community-driven event that aims to raise awareness and build an inclusive society in India. The IIS is hosted annually by the India Inclusion Foundation, a registered public NGO trust. The event brings together thought leaders and unsung heroes from the field of disability and inclusion. Dhyaan will be screened on November 16 and 17 at the summit.

By 

Maithilee Bhuyan