https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=AamisAamis - Revision history2026-07-30T21:56:25ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Aamis&diff=484017&oldid=prevBenWunderly at 14:48, 6 May 20262026-05-06T14:48:31Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|2019 Indian romantic horror film}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}}<br />
{{Infobox film<br />
| name = Aamis<br />
| image = Aamis official poster.jpg<br />
| alt = Official film poster<br />
| caption = Official film poster<br />
| director = [[Bhaskar Hazarika]]<br />
| producer = {{plainlist|<br />
* Shyam Bora<br />
* Poonam Deol<br />
}}<br />
| writer = Bhaskar Hazarika<br />
| based_on =<br />
| starring = {{plainlist|<br />
* Lima Das<br />
* Arghadeep Baruah<br />
}}<br />
| narrator =<br />
| music = Quan Bay<br />
| cinematography = Riju Das<br />
| editing = Shweta Rai Chamling<br />
| studio = {{plainlist|<br />
* Signum Productions<br />
* Metanormal Motion Pictures<br />
* Wishberry Films<br />
}}<br />
| distributor =<br />
| released = {{film date|2019|4|28|[[Tribeca Film Festival|TFF]]|2019|11|22|India|df=y}}<br />
| runtime = 108 minutes<br />
| country = India<br />
| language = [[Assamese language|Assamese]]<br />
| budget =<br />
| gross =<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''''Aamis''''' ({{langx|en|'''Ravening'''}}) is a 2019 Indian [[Assamese language|Assamese]]-language [[Romance film|romantic]] [[horror film]] written and directed by [[Bhaskar Hazarika]]. It explores [[taboo]] themes through an unconventional love story centered around food, obsession, and the [[macabre]].<br />
<br />
The film was produced by Signum Productions and Metanormal Motion Pictures,<ref name="1.6crore">{{cite web |title=Busan: Helmer Hazarika Looks to Complete Funding for 'Voracious' |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/asia/busan-helmer-hazarika-looks-to-complete-funding-for-voracious-1202590251/ |date=15 October 2017}}</ref> with Shyam Bora and Poonam Deol producing. It stars Lima Das and Arghadeep Baruah in the lead roles.<br />
<br />
==Background==<br />
The development process was marked by meticulous research into [[Assamese cuisine]], which plays a pivotal role in the narrative, due to the story's setting. ''Aamis'' had its world premiere at the [[Tribeca Film Festival]], where it was nominated in five categories in the festival's "International Narrative" section.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/assamese-film-aamis-to-compete-at-tribeca-film-fest/1491622 | title=Assamese film Aamis to compete at Tribeca film fest | work=outlookindia.com}}</ref> It was released in India on 22 November 2019.<ref name="fp">{{cite news |title=Anurag Kashyap to present Bhaskar Hazarika's Aamis, set in Assam; film to release in India on 22 November |url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/anurag-kashyap-to-present-bhaskar-hazarikas-aamis-set-in-assam-film-to-release-in-india-on-22-november-7501091.html | work=firstpost.com | date=15 October 2019 |access-date=15 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Assamese film ''Aamis'' gets a novel release plan |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/assamese-film-aamis-gets-a-novel-release-plan/1665962 |date=19 November 2019 |access-date=28 November 2019 | url-status=live | website=outlookindia.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111150919/https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/assamese-film-aamis-gets-a-novel-release-plan/1665962 |archive-date=11 January 2020 }}</ref><br />
<br />
==Plot==<br />
Sumon is a [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]] student who researches meat-eating habits of the people of [[Northeast India]] and cooks various meat dishes for his friends as a hobby. Nirmali is a doctor who feels unsatisfied with her marriage, and she constantly covers up for her friend Jumi, who is having an extramarital affair. Sumon and Nirmali meet when she has to treat his friend for indigestion, and they form a friendship over an interest in food. Sumon cooks meat dishes for Nirmali and takes her to various eateries as their friendship progresses. Soon, he starts obsessing over her, to the detriment of his studies. Nirmali's marriage worsens, and she begins spending more time with Sumon, though she does not reciprocate his feelings.<br />
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As his obsession gets out of hand, Sumon approaches his friend Elias, a vet, to cut off a part of his flesh, ostensibly for research. In truth, he plans to cook and serve it to Nirmali, as a way to make their bond stronger. Nirmali eats the dish, assuming it to be something else, and enjoys it more than anything she has ever tasted. When Sumon reveals its actual ingredients, Nirmali is disgusted at first, but she soon starts craving human flesh.<br />
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The relationship gradually becomes twisted, as they begin feeding each other their flesh in turn. Nirmali's addiction intensifies, and she ends up craving a large portion of human flesh to satiate her hunger. To help her, Sumon kills a rickshaw driver but is caught in the act. The police discover his connection to Nirmali through their texts and apprehend her as well, and their arrest and exposure as [[Cannibalism|cannibals]] causes a local scandal. At the police station, Sumon and Nirmali hold hands as they are presented in front of the media, with their faces covered.<br />
<br />
==Cast==<br />
* Lima Das as Nirmali Saikia<br />
* Arghadeep Baruah as Sumon<br />
* Neetali Das as Jumi<br />
* Sagar Saurabh as Elias Ahmad<br />
* Manash K Das as Dilip<br />
* Utkal Hazowari as Inspector<br />
* Chandan Bhuyan as Bora<br />
* Samarjyoti Sarkar as Rickshaw driver<br />
* Siddharth Boro as Eddie<br />
* Momee Borah as Mina<br />
* Jishnu Kashyap as Pikoo<br />
* Uddipta K Bhattacharya as Sumon's friend<br />
<br />
==Production==<br />
Fresh off of his success from his 2015 directorial debut, ''[[Kothanodi]]'', Bhaskar Hazarika knew his next project would be tough to pitch.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=6 April 2024 |title=I Have an Extremely Bleak View of Humanity: National Award Winner Bhaskar Hazarika |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/i-have-an-extremely-bleak-view-of-humanity-national-award-winner-bhaskar-hazarika |access-date=5 December 2024 |website=Outlook India}}</ref> Due to the taboo nature of the subject material, Hazarika sought out a tactful approach to address the topic without infringing on censorship protocol. In April 2024, he addressed this directly, saying, "Now, the Censor Board can cut scenes, but not ideas".<ref name=":0" /><br />
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When asked how the concept for the film developed, Hazarika mentioned watching a video of people eating a non-vegetarian meal. This sparked the idea for a concept he referred to as "not a dark love story but a sad one... a Romeo and Juliet kind of love story", covering themes of "repression, addiction, and the consequences of committing crimes".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Assam |first=Diversity |date=16 July 2024 |title=Aamis: An Assamese Psychological Masterpiece (2019) |url=https://diversityassam.com/entertainment/aamis-ravening-assamese-movie/ |access-date=5 December 2024}}</ref><br />
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In many ways, Hazarika has attempted to shift away from [[Hindi cinema|Bollywood]] tradition, relishing in the flexibility of independent film.<ref name=":0" /> He opted to cast unknown actors due to the film's limited budget. The film was the acting debut for Lima Das, who is a doctor and dancer in real life.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lima Das, the doctor who dances |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/Lima-Das-the-doctor-who-dances/article13999436.ece#:~:text=Guwahati-based%20Sattriya%20dancer%20and%20doctor%20Lima%20Das%20is%20one,in%20academics%20and%20the%20arts. |date=14 January 2016 |access-date=5 December 2024 |work=The Hindu |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><br />
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There are distinct similarities between ''Kothanodi'' and ''Aamis'', stemming largely from the strange and gritty horror elements, but the director himself notes a stark difference: whereas ''Kothanodi'' was a "sledgehammer – elemental and raw, ''Aamis'' is all about feel".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramnath |first=Nandini |date=3 April 2019 |title=In Assamese film 'Aamis', an insatiable appetite for love and meat has strange consequences |url=https://scroll.in/reel/918741/in-assamese-film-aamis-an-insatiable-appetite-for-love-and-meat-has-strange-consequences |access-date=5 December 2024 |website=Scroll.in}}</ref><br />
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==Reception==<br />
Deborah Young for ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' wrote, "One would have liked the story to end on some unexpected note of unfettered imagination in keeping with the defiant spirit of what has gone before. The moralistic ending really takes it down a notch."<ref>{{cite news |last=Young |first=Deborah |title='Ravening' ('Aamis'): Film Review {{!}} Tribeca 2019 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/ravening-aamis-1209113/ |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=9 May 2019}}</ref> Anannya Baruah for ''[[HuffPost]]'' wrote, "Meat isn't just Nirmali and Sumon's means of sublimating their desire and feeling better about not committing adultery; it has always been the object of caste, religious and regional discrimination—a rationalisation for the violent dehumanisation of certain bodies."<ref>{{cite news |last=Baruah |first=Anannya |title='Aamis' Is About the Rotting of Unexpressed Desire. Or Is It? |url=https://www.huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/aamis-movie-assam-meat-bhaskar-hazarika-lima-das_in_5d88b159e4b0957256ba484f |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=[[HuffPost]] |date=24 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506094730/https://www.huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/aamis-movie-assam-meat-bhaskar-hazarika-lima-das_in_5d88b159e4b0957256ba484f |archive-date=6 May 2023}}</ref> Allan Hunter for ''[[Screen International|Screen Daily]]'', invoking echoes of ''[[The Lunchbox]]'', wrote, "The delicate, decorous nature of the relationship is sweetly captured. Hazarika encourages our investment in the couple and how they might engineer a future together. Affection is expressed in shy smiles and lingering glances. Arghadeep is particularly good at conveying the doe-eyed devotion of Sumon. There is an echo of 'The Lunchbox' in a film that might, initially at least, beguile food lovers and incurable romantics alike."<ref>{{cite news |last=Hunter |first=Allan |title='Aamis' ('Ravening'): Tribeca Review |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/aamis-ravening-tribeca-review/5138814.article |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=[[Screen International|Screen Daily]] |date=27 April 2019}}</ref><br />
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A critic from ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' wrote, "A Serbian Film, Aamis is exactly what you get when you suffocate unsuspecting people under systems of oppression."<ref>{{cite news |last=Naahar |first=Rohan |title=Aamis movie review: A maniacal feast for hungry masses; irresistibly insane |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/others/aamis-movie-review-anurag-kashyap-presents-a-maniacal-feast-for-hungry-masses-an-irresistibly-insane-romance-101633333028391.html |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=4 October 2021}}</ref> ''[[Deccan Chronicle]]'' wrote, "The film devotes a lot of time to cooking, eating, chatting, texting, and the screenplay, full of dialogue and detailed cooking and eating scenes, delivers it all with a beaming smile and a powerful comment on the politics of food."<ref>{{cite news |last=Sharma |first=Suparna |title=Aamis (The Ravening) movie review: A plateful of succulent taboos |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/241119/aamis-the-ravening-movie-review-a-plateful-of-succulent-taboos-1.html |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=[[Deccan Chronicle]] |date=24 November 2019}}</ref> [[Shubhra Gupta]] of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' praised Hazarika and wrote, "Not for the faint-hearted or squeamish, Aamis is an unusual, brilliant film, and Hazarika one of India's most gifted filmmakers."<ref>{{cite news |last=Gupta |first=Shubhra |author-link=Shubhra Gupta |title=Aamis movie review: An unusual, brilliant film |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/aamis-movie-review-6130038/ |url-access=limited |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=21 November 2019}}{{rating|4|5}}</ref> ''[[CNN-News18|News18]]'' wrote, "There is a lot of meat eating; the food shots are lovingly composed. The film suggests that just like we all have different tastes and appetites when it comes to food, we also have varied moral palates and desires."<ref>{{cite news |last=Masand |first=Rajeev |title=Aamis Movie Review: Its an Incomparably Satiating Experience |url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/aamis-movie-review-its-an-incomparably-satiating-experience-2397429.html |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=[[CNN-News18|News18]] |date=23 November 2019}}{{rating|4|5}}</ref><br />
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''[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]]'' wrote, "The assertions that 'love by itself is enough' or 'love solves everything' seem disconnected from the larger truth: that love can also be evil, that love – or say, obsession – can cross a line, too."<ref>{{cite news |last=Thakur |first=Tanul |title=Movie Review: Without Trying to, 'Aamis' Tells Us Love by Itself Is Not Enough |url=https://thewire.in/film/aamis-movie-review |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]] |date=24 November 2019}}</ref> A critic from ''[[The Quint]]'' wrote, "In a film where every frame is so thoughtfully done, the climax was a dampener. But there's redemption in the final shot where both Sumon and Nirmali touch each other for the first time."<ref>{{cite news |last=Bagchi |first=Tanisha |title='Aamis' Questions the Normal Through an Unusual Love Story |url=https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/aamis-bhaskar-hazarika-movie-review |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=[[The Quint]] |date=21 November 2019}}{{rating|4|5}}</ref> Ishrat Jahan Holy for ''[[The Business Standard]]'' wrote, "Aamis is a bold genius of Bhaskar Hazarika and it relies on its slow revelations. As the film progresses, it gently comes out from its 'The Lunchbox'-esque atmosphere and takes the darkest possible turn."<ref>{{cite news |last=Holy |first=Ishrat Jahan |title=Aamis: A hauntingly beautiful love story |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/glitz/aamis-hauntingly-beautiful-love-story-319666 |access-date=6 May 2023 |work=[[The Business Standard]] |date=23 October 2021}}</ref><br />
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==Awards==<br />
Source:<ref name=":1" /><br />
* Singapore South Asian International Film Festival: Best Director (Bhaskar Hazarika) and Best Female Actor (Lima Das)<br />
* [[Sailadhar Baruah]] Memorial Film Awards: Best Actor—female (Lima Das), Best Music (Quan Bay), Best Sound Design (Gautam Nair)<br />
* Assam State Film Awards 2019: Best Direction, Best Music, Best [[Audiography]], Best Screenplay, Best Actress<br />
* Imagine India: Best Actress (Lima Das)—nominated<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* {{IMDb title|tt9010522}}<br />
* [https://www.airtelxstream.in/movies/aamis/SONYLIV_VOD_MOVIE_1000137795 Aamis] at [https://www.airtelxstream.in/ Airtel Xstream Play]<br />
* [https://www.watchmyfilm.com/movie/aamis Aamis] at [https://www.moviesaints.com/home Movie Saints]<br />
<br />
[[Category:2019 films]]<br />
[[Category:Films set in Assam]]<br />
[[Category:2010s Assamese-language films]]</div>BenWunderly