Curtains fall on first Aaideo NE Cinema Festival

From our Correspondent

Mangaldai, September 26: Mangaldai has the special distinction of producing  commercially successful Assamese films like Aranya and Putala Ghar on cooperative basis by a socio-cultural organization in the 70s for the first time in the history of Northeast cinema. It has reached another milestone by successfully organizing the first three-day Aaideo NE Cinema Festival which ended on Sunday night here at Gandhi Maidan.

Darrang district committee of Aaideo Talkies organized the festival with a view to provide the common cinema lovers an opportunity to enjoy some quality feature films produced with the background of Northeast India.

The three day-long festival witnessed screening of four feature films titled The Head Hunter, di Matho Boy, Duranir Nirola Poja and children film Khhobh. On Sunday evening, the organizers conferred Aaideo lifetime achievement award to eminent playwright, actor, director and lyricist Hemanta Dutta in recognition of his immense contribution towards Assamese film industry. The award carries a gamosa, a traditiol seleng chadar, a japi , xarai and a memento. Each evening of the festival marked felicitation of  young and prominent film directors , actors, producers, artistes  including Hemanta Das, Jhulan Krish Mahanta, Dhrubajyoti Bordoloi , Kangakan Kr Deka, Mintu Barua, Mrigen Konwar of the NSD, recipient of the State best child actor award Abhilash Borthakur, former tiol award recipient actress and dancer Rupsikha Saloi , renown Satriya and Bihu dancer Bhanu Deka Saharia , and singer and radio announcer Prajal Kr Sharma among others.

Besides film screening and felicitation, a mobile short movie contest and fashion show contest on traditiol dress code christened as Miss Aaideo Jeuti was organized in connection with the festival. In the short film contest Moli-the Dirt directed by Anuprash Das was adjudged winner where as Pratibha Rekha Deka and Violi Deka emerged as winner and the first runner-up respectively in the Miss Aaideo Jeuti contest.

The felicitation and award distribution function on the last evening was graced by legislators from Mangaldai and Sipajhar assembly constituencies, Gurujyoti Das and Binda Kr Saikia respectively, as the invited guests. Earlier on Friday evening, Ashok Kr Barman, Deputy Commissioner of Darrang, ceremonially opened the festival with the lighting of the lamp in presence of office bearers of the organizing committee, including  Mab Pratim Das, Pappu Kabeer, Puja Barua, Rat Das and Mayukh Goswami among others.