Award winning Assamese film ‘Rainbow Fields’ to release in Mumbai

Mumbai-based filmmaker Bidyut Kotoky’s award-winning film ‘Rainbow Fields’ which was taken to various film festivals across the world winning awards and accolades for its premise and portrayal of real events is set to release in the city.

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Director Bidyut Kotoky with his female lead Dipannita Sharma

‘Rainbow Fields’ which is based on true events is set in the Indian state of Assam in the violent period of the 1980’s and depicts the trauma of children growing up in places of violence, witnessing the brutality around them and how it emotionally and psychologically affects them deeply, leaving an inexpungible mark on their growth.

Written and directed by National award winning filmmaker Bidyut Kotoky, ‘Rainbow Fields’ won the ‘Best Foreign Film’ award at the prestigious Hollywood CineFest Film Festival 2017 and was one among the many films to be shortlisted in the Clinik Kathmandu Film Lab (2015) along with eight other projects from five South Asian countries. The film had its grand world premiere in the prominent Indian Panorama category of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), 2017 in Goa. It has also been selected by the US-based Kids First, the world’s largest Film Festival for children, Bangladesh Children Film Festival, Catoosa County Film Festival and New York Winter Film Awards.

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cast of the film with Director at recent screening in Mumbai 

Says writer/director Bidyut Kotoky, “In the film, a famous film director, on hearing the news of his childhood friend’s death, goes back on a soul-searching journey to his native village and has to confront the unresolved vestiges of a terrible childhood accident, before he loses his last chance for redemption and closure. It’s been thirty-five years since Nellie in Assam saw one of independent India’s worst acts of violence, leaving about 1,800 people dead in a single day. Our film deals with the underlying effects of the violence witnessed in the state since that incident and how it has severely impacted the minds of children who have grown up with it.”

The filmmaker adds that while the impact of the incident was localised, the ones that occurred post the television era have adversely affected those living far beyond the scenes of crime.

Starring legendary actor Victor Banerjeee in a significant role, the film features actress Dipannita Sharma making it her first ever Assamese feature film. It further comprises an ensemble cast of well-known names like Nakul Vaid (of ‘Ab Tak Chappan’ fame), Naved Aslam, Nipon Goswami and Nikumoni Barua. However, the real stars of the film are the bunch of talented child actors which include Maharnav Mahanta, Rishiraj Baruah, Mrinmoy Medhi, Krish Talukdar, Mihir Pegu, Hiya Kotoky and Jiya Baruah.

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Produced by Trilok Malhotra and KR Harish, the script of ‘Rainbow Fields’ is mentored by Michael Henrichs (Associate Producer ‘Chauthi Koot’ which was part of the Official selection in Cannes 2015) with sound design by multiple award winner Amrit Pritam, who was recently selected for the board of Oscar Academy. National award winner Anurag Saikia has provided the music with the title song sung by Assam’s biggest musical superstar Zubeen Garg. With cinematography by Satya Prakash Rath and edited by Pallavi Kotoky, writer director Bidyut Kotoky’s ‘Rainbow Fields’ releases this month in Mumbai.

Here is the trailer