Assamese docu-film 'Jnanada - Reflections of Light and Shade' nominated for the 15th Jaipur Film Festival

The 15th Jaipur International Film Festival will kickstart from January 6 and continue till January 10, dishing out a multi-lingual palate of movies from across the globe as well as from different parts of the country for cine-lovers.

A list of nominated films (official selection) in competition category (competitive films) have been released, which also includes the Assamese documentary film ‘Jnanada: Reflections of Light and Shade’, directed by Bobbeeta Sharma.

The movie ‘Jnanada – Reflections of Light and Shade’, is based on the beautiful actress of yesteryears, Jnanada Kakati.

A veteran actor, with more than 21 films to her credit, including four in Bengali, the power-packed performer, will remain an inspiration for generations of actors to come. A combination of beauty and grace, with a mesmerising voice, Jnanada joined the industry at a time when a woman actor was unheard of and men played the female parts.

As a student in Laban Assamese School, she won numerous awards for acting, singing and dancing. At one of her functions, Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, personally congratulated her for her performance and urged her pursue her dream.

Jnanada’s first film ‘Par Ghat’ opposite legendary actor Chandra Phukan released in the year 1948. The film was directed by Bhuban Das with the assistance from Kalyan Gupta.

However, it was Prabhat Mukherjee’s path-breaking celluloid drama ‘Puberun’ which shot Jnanada to international fame. In the sixties, Jnanada Kakati represented India at the Berlin film festival, the only Indian to do so that year. The Berlin festival was the high point of her life as an actress.

Her popularity as a danseuse made the then Hollywood heartthrob Cary Grant invite her to a ball during the film festival. Egyptian actress Fatema Hamama became a friend for a lifetime.
Back home, her last two films were ‘Priyojon’ and Bidyut Chakraborty’s national award-winning film ‘Raag Birag’.

Joining in the list are many other Assamese films, including ‘The Other Women’, directed by Jemini Phukan, ‘Bokul Phulor Dore’, directed by Sanjeev Hazarika, 

As per sources, a complete screening schedule of selected films shall be put up on the festival website in and around December 21, 2022.

A total of 16 feature fiction, 9 documentary feature, 21 short fiction, 4 documentary short, 1 music/song/album, 3 student films have been nominated in competition category. 
There are total 199 films in the first list and 51 in 2nd list from 43 countries (Out of 1530 (1st List) + 425 (2nd List) films from 85 Countries) that will be screened ahead of the commencement of the film festival.