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Guwahati, May 22: Filmmaker Soumyajit Majumdar's latest venture, ‘Joyguru’, is a Hindi musical odyssey based on the extraordinary life of Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Parvathy Baul, an iconic figure in the world of music and mysticism who has performed in more than 40 countries.
Parvathy Baul spent some of her childhood in Assam, inspiring Majumdar to shoot parts of the film in the state.
The Baul tradition, recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is an ancient spiritual tradition of song and dance (Bhakti Yogic parampara) originating from undivided Bengal. It has inspired artists such as Rabindranath Tagore, Bob Dylan, and Allen Ginsberg.
To pay tribute to this legend, Majumdar plans to shoot the film in real locations in and around Shantiniketan, Bolpur, Kerala, Vrindavan, and Assam. “Parvathy ji's cultural upbringing and introduction to spirituality started in Assam. So, we will depict her neighbourhood in Assam and around the early 1980s,” Majumdar told The Assam Tribune.
The shooting for the film will commence soon, with parts also filmed in the UK, USA, and France. Ace Indian cinematographer Ravi Varman will capture the scenes in Assam. Parvathy Baul reminisced, “The first image that comes to my mind about Assam is the Bihu dance. We also learned how to do that. The sound of Goalparia geet, as we lived near Fokiragram and North Lakhimpur. Tea gardens and high houses made of bamboo and wood are some of the memories. I also distinctly remember Boro dances, which are very beautiful."
The Hindi musical biopic ‘Joyguru’ is a historic flagship Indo-USA-UK-France co-production, uniting talents from across the globe to create a cinematic masterpiece that knows no borders. Helmed by California-based producers Aniruddha Dasgupta and Aparna Dasgupta (Adited Motion Pictures, USA/India) along with Soumyajit's LOK Arts Collective (India/UK), ‘Joyguru’ is in its final scripting stage and will begin filming in 2025.
‘Joyguru’ also attended the Cannes Film Market. “Over decades, the French have been fascinated by Baul culture. So we were glad that ‘Joyguru’ had representation at the Cannes Film Market 2024 while the film is in the final scripting stage. All that I can say now is that we are set with a global team who are looking forward to co-creating together,” Majumdar added.
Parvathy Baul is one of the leading Baul musicians in India. Trained under esteemed Baul gurus Sanatan Das Baul and Shashanko Goshai Baul in Bengal, she has been performing since 1995, captivating audiences both in India and abroad.
