GUWAHATI: Actor Adil Hussain, film director Rima Das and athlete Hima Das have brought in laurels to Assam in their respective fields. While Adil Hussain won the best actor award at the Norwegian National Award for the film What Will People Say, Hima bagged medals in the recently held Asian Games at Jakarta. Director Rima Das’ Village Rockstars, on the other hand, is India’s official entry for Oscars 2019.
The trio has been successful in putting Assam and its people on the world map, so much so, that all the media houses across the globe are talking about them at the moment. G Plus outlines the works of these individuals along with their Assam connection and hopes that the state continues to produce such amazing artists in the future too!
1. Rima Das, the maker of ‘Village Rockstars’
Rima Das’ ‘Village Rockstars’ has been picked as India's official entry in the ‘Foreign Language Film’ category for Oscars 2019. It is the first Assamese film selected for the prestigious Academy Awards.
The film, which had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and India premiere at the Mumbai Film Festival 2018, has been screened in more than 70 international and national film festivals and won 44 awards, including four National Awards.
While Jahnu Barua-directed Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai (The Catastrophe) became the first Assamese film to earn national recognition, it took four decades for another film to win the Swarna Kamal.
Apart from receiving the national award for Best Feature Film, Village Rockstars by Rima Das also won three more awards - best child artist, best location sound recordist and best editing.
After winning the Best Feature film Award at the 65th National Film Awards, Rima Das's directorial ‘Village Rockstars’ is set for release across India on September 28.
What sets the film apart is the involvement of people, including the director, not being trained in any aspect of filmmaking. Rima Das emerged as a one-woman crew, writing, directing, producing, editing and shooting a film, besides handling art direction and costume designing.
2. Adil Hussain, the first Assamese actor selected for Oscars for Best Foreign Film from outside India
Set to join Rima Das at the Oscars is another Assamese artist – Adil Hussain. Norway has officially selected actor Adil Hussain starrer 'What Will People Say' for the 'Foreign Language Film' category to be sent to the Oscars.
The movie is set in Pakistan and Norway, and traces how a Pakistani immigrant family deals with their teenage daughter’s affair with a local boy in Norway. This film opened in Toronto International Film Festival and has travelled to many others. The film follows 16-year-old Nisha, a Pakistani teenager in Norway who is sent back to her extended family on the subcontinent when she seemingly soils her family’s reputation.
Maria Mozhdah plays the 16-year-old protagonist Nisha and Adil Hussain plays the role of Nisha’s father.
The film directed by Pakistani-Norwegian filmmaker Iram Haq has been screened at a number of festivals, including Goteborg, Hamburg and Jerusalem.
The actor has time and again proved his talent in the film industry, be it of any genre or any language. Hussain has earlier worked for commercial films like ‘Life of Pi’, ‘English Vinglish’, ‘Mukti Bhawan: Hotel Salvation’ and ‘Parched’ to name a few.
Adil, who hails from Goalpara, recently bagged the best actor award for his role in the film at the Amanda Awards 2018 - the Scandinavian country’s top national film honour.
3. Hima Das, the youngest Assamese to win Arjuna Award
Hima Das, having won three medals at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, including two silvers and a gold, made international headlines and put Assam on the sports map.
Assam’s golden girl, Hima Das will be conferred with Arjuna Awards at the Rashtrapati Bhavan by President Ram Nath Kovind. Hima’s name figures at number 3 in the list of 20 Arjuna awardees prepared by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
It has been a great year for Hima on the track. The rich haul of medals by the “Dhing Express” (an endearing sobriquet that Hima has earned nowadays) at Asian Games comes after she won the gold medal at the IAAF World U-20 Championships in 2018 over the 400 M distance – the first Indian athlete to win a medal at any world event.
In Indonesia, she won two silvers and a gold, whilst setting a national record when she clocked 51.00 to qualify for the 400 metre final, which she again bettered to clinch silver with a timing of 50.79. Hima’s second silver came in the mixed team 4x400 M relay event while she clinched gold in the women’s 4x400 M relay event.
Hima Das is now the brand ambassador of Assam sports and has been offered a job in the sports department by the Government of Assam, this was declared by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during her felicitation function at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra.
Additionally, Ranjan Gogoi recently became the first Assamese Chief Justice of India (CJI). Justice Gogoi will assume office on 3 October. Justice Ranjan Gogoi will succeed Justice Dipak Misra as Chief Justice of India, the first from Assam and north-east to hold the highest position in Indian judiciary.
Born on 18 November, 1954, Justice Gogoi joined the Bar in 1978, as the Supreme Court website states. He practised mainly in the Gauhati High Court and was appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Gauhati High Court on 28 February, 2001.
He was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on 9 September, 2010 and was then appointed the Chief Justice of the same high court on 12 February, 2011. Justice Gogoi became a judge of the Supreme Court on 23 April, 2012.
G Plus extends its warm wishes towards actor Adil Hussain, filmmaker Rima Das and athlete Hima Das. We hope that they continue to shine brighter and bring laurels to their state, their country and the various fraternities they represent.