KOLKATA: A newspaper report of a mother who was twice shown a fake body of her son by cops prompted Jaicheng Jai Dohutia to make a film. 'Haanduk', which took almost ten years to make, is the first Moran language film to be made. It went on to win the National Award for trying to capture the essence of waiting with the problem of insurgency as a backdrop and is being screened in the Unheard India segment of the 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival.Segment curator Shantanu Ganguly is happy to have brought this debut film by Guwahati-based Dohutia. "I was a media school student when I first read this report in 2007. I was moved by the story of this woman who was given a body of her son twice, once due to a mistake made by police. I went to meet her. Such incidents are common in upper Assam ," Dohutia said.In 2012, Dohutia started writing the story of the mother of an untraced extremist. She performs his last rites only to receive an intimation that his death can't be confirmed by the outfit. Thus begins another long wait as the woman hopes her son will return home. "My film delves into a section of the Assamese society threatened by influx of illegal immigrants. It is perhaps for the first time that the Moran community has been explored in the context of this uprising," he said.A 19-day-shoot happened on real locations - Tongana Maaj Gaon, Tinsukia, Digboi, Mergerita, Ledu and Arunachal Pradesh . Locals who spoke Moran and weathered similar experiences were cast in the film. It took Dohutia two years to cast Bandoi Chetia as the lead. "She comes from a family of daily wageearners and had seen the effects of insurgency. She is in her 50s and did one-week workshop before shoot. Once we began shooting, she became a pro. After each take, she would come and check the shot on the monitor. She is happy the film is being shown at KIFF," Dohutia said.Director Satarupa Sanyal has blasted the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for removal two films selected by a 13-member jury for the Indian Panorama section of the 48th International Film Festival of India. "This is an insult to the Indian democracy," said Sanyal, who is part of the jury.In a report published October 18, TOIhad highlighted how Ravi Yadav's Marathi film 'Nude', Prasad Oak's 'Kachcha Limbu' and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's Malayalam film 'S Durga' had sparked discussions. A source had then told TOI: "There is full-frontal nudity in 'Nude'. Let's see if the ministry agrees to screen it and the controversially-titled 'S Durga'."Sanyal is in favour of these films as she feels they are pertinent in today's times. "Both the films are against patriarchy. As a feminist, I want these movies to be included," she said.

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