>TaDrian58 at 11:29, 5 June 2021

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{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare
| image = Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare Poster.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Bidyut Kotoky]]
| producer = [[National Film Development Corporation of India]]
| writer = Bidyut Kotoky
| starring = [[Sanjay Suri]] [[Bidita Bag]] [[Victor Banerjee]] [[Nakul Vaid]] [[Raj Zutshi]] Naved Aslam [[Preeti Jhangiani]]
| music = [[Zubeen Garg]]
| cinematography = [[Madhu Ambat]]
| editing = [[Rajesh Parmar]]
| studio = 
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|df=y|2012|09|14}}
| runtime = 90 minutes
| country = India
| language = [[Assamese language|Assamese]] [[Hindi language|Hindi]]
}}
'''''Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare''''' ({{Lang-as|এখন নেদেখা নদীৰ সিপাৰে}}, {{Lang-en| On the other bank of the unseen river}}) is a 2012 [[Cinema of Assam|Assamese]] [[Assamese language|language]] [[Social film|socio]]-[[Political thriller|political thriller film]],<ref name="AT">{{cite news | url=http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=sep1212/city05 | title=NFDC releases Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xipare | work=[[The Assam Tribune]] | date=12 September 2012 | access-date=13 January 2013 | location=Guwahati}}</ref> with some dialogue in [[Hindi language|Hindi]], starring [[Sanjay Suri]] and [[Bidita Bag]] in the lead roles. It was directed by [[Bidyut Kotoky]] and produced by [[National Film Development Corporation of India]]. The film was simultaneously made in Hindi as ''[[As the river flows]]''.

The story was inspired by the kidnapping of activist [[Sanjoy Ghosh]], who was first abducted in 1997 from the island [[Majuli]] in [[Assam]] supposed to be by the [[United Liberation Front of Asom]] (ULFA) and subsequently killed.<ref name="dearcinema">{{cite web | url=http://dearcinema.com/news/bidyut-kotokys-akhon-nedekha-nodir-sipare-releases-today/2810 | title=Bidyut Kotoky's "Akhon Nedekha Nodir Sipare" releases on Friday | publisher=Dear Cinema | date=14 September 2012 | access-date=13 January 2013}}</ref> A controversy developed when it got rejected by the jury of the [[59th National Film Awards]] in the category of [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Assamese|best Assamese film]] for being "not Assamese".<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news | url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120318/jsp/frontpage/story_15264296.jsp#.UPJi-OQ-v5w | title=What does it take to be Assamese? - Film's rejection sparks strong reactions | work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] | date=18 March 2012 | access-date=13 January 2013 | author=Jena, Alipta}}</ref>

==Plot==
Sridhar Ranjan, a social activist, has gone missing from [[Majuli]], [[Assam]]. After almost seven years, when as per law he is about to be officially declared dead, his old journalist friend Abhijit Shandilya ([[Sanjay Suri]]) goes in search of Sridhar from [[Mumbai]] to Majuli. In Majuli, Abhijit finds himself to be a stranger of sorts in a place that’s infested with terrorists and where both the police and the terrorists seem to be suspicious of him. He befriends with his local guide Sudakshina ([[Bidita Bag]]). Sudakshina apparently was the guide for Sridhar when he came to Majuli initially. She, however, seems to be living with her own fears and stops short of getting close to Abhijit whenever an occasion comes up. The rest of the story revoles around Abhijit trying solve the mystery behind the disappearance of Sridhar.

==Cast==
* [[Sanjay Suri]] as Abhijit Shandilya, an old friend of Sridhar Ranjan
* [[Bidita Bag]] as Sudakshina, a local guide in Majuli
* [[Victor Banerjee]] as grandfather of Sudakshina
* [[Nakul Vaid]] as Jyotiraj, brother of Sudakshina
* [[Raj Zutshi]] as Jayanta Doley, an ex-militant
* Naved Aslam as Sub-Divisional police officer Sameer Agarwal
* [[Preeti Jhangiani]]

==Production==
Bidyut Kotoky, the director of ''Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare'', said that the story has nothing to do with the disappearance of Sanjay Ghose and it is not based on his life. According to him, "if a person like Sanjay Ghose existed, then somebody like Sridhar Ranjan – the protagonist of my film – could also have existed in Majuli. True, the film is inspired by the unfortunate disappearance of Sanjay Ghose – but inspiration ends there. The entire story is totally fictitious..."<ref name="note4mBidyut">{{cite web | url=http://bidyutkotoky.com/notes-from-bidyut/ | title=Notes from Bidyut | date=25 August 2010 | access-date=13 January 2013 | author=Kotoky, Bidyut}}</ref>

The film was shot in Assam's Majuli river island, [[Jorhat]] and Mumbai.<ref name="toi">{{cite news | url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-12/guwahati/33788252_1_feature-film-sanjay-suri-national-film-development-corporation | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126101226/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-12/guwahati/33788252_1_feature-film-sanjay-suri-national-film-development-corporation | url-status=dead | archive-date=26 January 2013 | title=Film on futility of violence to hit screens soon | work=[[The Times of India]] | date=12 September 2012 | agency=TNN | access-date=13 January 2013 | author=Das, Gaurav | location=Guwahati}}</ref>

The film features a poem recitation by Dr. [[Bhupen Hazarika]].<ref name="dearcinema"/><ref name="ndtv"/> It was recorded on 10 February 2010 and featured on the opening.<ref name="note4mBidyut"/> In Bidyut Kotoky's words, "The poem represents the voice of the river [[Brahmaputra]] through the voice of the music maestro. Late Hazarika is known for his passion for the mighty river and is called the 'Bard of Brahmaputra'. So, when I needed someone to represent the voice of the river in my film, I immediately decided to approach Dr. Hazarika. ... He was ailing and not well when I approached him for recording the recitation for the film. However, he agreed to lend his voice and we finally recorded the recitation in February 2010."

The music was composed by [[Zubeen Garg]] and cinematography was done by veteran cinematographer [[Madhu Ambat]].<ref name="ndtv"/>

==Release==
The film was released on 14 September 2012 in 9 [[Movie theater|theatres]]<ref name="7sis"/> across Assam.<ref name="dearcinema"/><ref name="ndtv">{{cite news|url=http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=266754&subcatg=&keyword=Music&nid=266754 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216140937/http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=266754&subcatg=&keyword=Music&nid=266754 |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 February 2013 |title=Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika to come alive on-screen |work=ndtv.com |date=13 September 2012 |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |access-date=13 January 2013 |location=Guwahati }}</ref> Its first public screening of was held on 29 July 2012 at 12th Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival held in [[New Delhi]].<ref name="note4mBidyut"/><ref name="off">{{cite web |url=http://cinefan.osians.com/schedule/?view=screenings |title=12th Osian's Cinefan Film Festival - Schedule |publisher=Osian's Cinematic Pvt. Ltd. 2012 |access-date=13 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023065150/http://cinefan.osians.com/schedule/?view=screenings |archive-date=23 October 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref> It was screened by the cultural affairs department of the [[Government of Maharashtra|Maharashtra government]] on 8 September 2012 in Mumbai to mark [[Bhupen Hazarika]]’s birth anniversary.<ref name="dearcinema"/>

==Reception==

===Critical reception===
The film received generally positive reviews. Utpal Borpujari said that Bidyut Kotoky made a "promising debut."<ref name="utpal">{{cite web | url=https://utpalborpujari.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/north-east-cinemas-interesting-times-deep-focus-cinema-magazine/ | title=North-East cinemas: Interesting times (Deep Focus Cinema magazine) | date=30 December 2012 | access-date=13 January 2013 | author=Borpujari, Utpal}}</ref> Film writer Arunlochan Das rated ''Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare'' to be a "good film based on reality."<ref name="7sis">{{cite news|url=http://sevensisterspost.com/ekhon-nedekha-nodir-xipare-a-hit-with-assamese-audience/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140209201806/http://sevensisterspost.com/ekhon-nedekha-nodir-xipare-a-hit-with-assamese-audience/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 February 2014 |title=Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xipare a hit with Assamese audience |work=[[Seven Sisters Post]] |date=14 September 2012 |access-date=13 January 2013 |author=Gani, Abdul |location=Guwahati }}</ref> [[Seven Sisters Post]] praised the acting of [[Raj Zutshi]] and said that the film is "an honest attempt to tell the truth."<ref name="SSP">{{cite web|url=http://sevensisterspost.com/ekhon-nedekha-nodir-xipare-an-honest-attempt-to-tell-the-truth/ |title=Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xipare: An honest attempt to tell the truth |publisher=[[Seven Sisters Post]] |access-date=13 January 2013 }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Awards and accolades==
Bidyut Kotoky won Best Screenplay award for ''Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare'' in the Assam State Film Awards for 2010-2012, which was presented on 10 March 2013 at Machkhowa, Guwahati. Jeevan Initiative, a voluntary trust from Assam, included the film in its list of 'Special 10 of the year 2012 for Assam' and cited, "this cinema aesthetically unveils an almost forgotten story of our recent political history."<ref name="Special10">{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbB9n4NSxWM | title=Jeevan's SPECIAL 10 OF THE YEAR for ASSAM | publisher=Jeevan Initiative | date=2013-03-30 | access-date=2013-04-10}}</ref>

''Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare'' was selected for screening in the second edition of the Washington DC South Asian Film Festival held from 10 May 2013.<ref name="Toi DC">{{cite news | url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-29/guwahati/38125088_1_film-industry-new-film-festival-assamese | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214040807/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-29/guwahati/38125088_1_film-industry-new-film-festival-assamese | url-status=dead | archive-date=14 December 2013 | title=Assam film sets date with Washington fest | work=[[The Times of India]] | date=29 March 2013 | agency=TNN | access-date=30 March 2013 | author=Das, Gaurav | location=Guwahati}}</ref> The film was awarded for the Best Script and Best Actor at the same festival.<ref name="timesofindia20059499">{{cite journal | url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-15/guwahati/39281083_1_film-festival-assamese-best-actor | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629123300/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-15/guwahati/39281083_1_film-festival-assamese-best-actor | url-status=dead | archive-date=2013-06-29 | title=Assamese film bags awards at US fest | journal=[[The Times of India]] |date=May 2013}}</ref>
The film won the Audience Choice Award at the North Carolina International South Asian Film Festival (NCISAFF) for 2014.
<ref>{{cite news | title =Victor Banerjee starrer wins audience choice award in US fest| quote = “The Audience Choice Award for 2014 goes to ‘As River Flows’. It was beautifully done,” North Carolina International South Asian Film Festival director Gauri Singh informed the film’s director Bidyut Kotoky.| newspaper = The Indian Express |date=March 19, 2014| url = http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/victor-banerjee-starrer-wins-audience-choice-award-in-us-fest/|access-date=29 June 2016}}</ref>

==Controversy==
''Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare'' was sent to compete in the category of [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Assamese|best Assamese film]] in [[59th National Film Awards]]. But the 11-member jury, led by [[Rohini Hattangadi]], rejected the film for "lack of cultural purity".<ref name="Telegraph"/><ref name="tele2">{{cite news | url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120410/jsp/northeast/story_15349439.jsp#.UPKlseQ-v5w | title=Support for film termed 'non-Assamese' | work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] | date=10 April 2012 | agency=Jena, Alipta | access-date=13 January 2013 | author=Jena, Alipta | location=Kolkata}}</ref> Assamese filmmaker Hiren Bora, one of the jury members, said that, "The jury was of the view that a major chunk of the film was shot in Mumbai and most of the dialogues were in Hindi." This led to a controversy since the [[Central Board of Film Certification|official censorship authority in India]] had already certified the film as Assamese.{{citation needed|date=January 2016|reason=This CN tag replaces an unreliable blog. We need reliable sources with established reputations for fact-checking}} A [[Public-interest litigation (India)|public-interest litigation]] was filed by enajori.com, a socio-cultural organisation that promotes cultural heritage of Assam, against the jury's decision.<ref name="pil">{{cite news | url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120419/jsp/northeast/story_15389524.jsp#.UPJjgOQ-v5w | title=PIL disputes jury tag on Assamese film | work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] | date=19 April 2012 | access-date=13 January 2013 | author=Jena, Alipta | location=[[Kolkata]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/court-notice-government-over-assamese-film-170626298.html|title=Court notice to government over Assamese film|date=18 April 2012|agency=[[Indo-Asian News Service]]|access-date=11 June 2012|location=New Delhi}}</ref> In response to the plea the [[Delhi High Court]] issued a notice to the [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Ministry of Information and Broadcasting]], the [[Directorate of Film Festivals]], the [[Central Board of Film Certification]], Rohini Hattangadi (chairperson of Feature Film section), and Hiren Bora.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/regional/explain-reasons-for-rejecting-assamese-film-at-national-awards-high-court-199263 |title=Explain reasons for rejecting Assamese film at National Awards: High Court |author=Press Trust of India |author-link=Press Trust of India |date=19 April 2012 |agency=[[NDTV]] |access-date=11 June 2012 |location=New Delhi |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427181439/http://www.ndtv.com/article/regional/explain-reasons-for-rejecting-assamese-film-at-national-awards-high-court-199263 |archive-date=27 April 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref>

After examining the documents submitted for the selection of regional films, the High Court dismissed the plea. The proceedings revealed that ''Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare'', and other films from the eastern region, were previewed and rejected by the jury. The court imposed costs of {{INRConvert|2|k}} on the petitioner for moving to the court without ascertaining the facts of the case.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/court-rejects-plea-for-quashing-the-jurys-decision-in-national-awards-202259|title=Court rejects plea for quashing the jury's decision in National Awards|author=Press Trust of India|author-link=Press Trust of India|date=25 April 2012|agency=[[NDTV]]|access-date=11 June 2012|location=New Delhi}}</ref>

An online campaign was created to support the film.<ref name="tele2"/> Many film personalities, such as [[Nandita Das]], [[Amol Gupte]], [[Rajesh Parmar]], [[Adil Hussain]] etc. have pledged support to the campaign.<ref name="tele2"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|tt13842398}}

[[Category:2012 films]]
[[Category:Assamese-language films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Films set in Assam]]
[[Category:2010s Assamese-language films]]

Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xhipare - Revision history

>TaDrian58 at 11:29, 5 June 2021