A New Film Juxtaposes Superstition & Grief With The Beauty of Assam

Promising new director Siddhanth Ghosh’s new film ‘Eka’, is an ode to oneness, and to being alone. Mumbai-based Ghosh is originally from Silchar in Assam, close to the borders of Bangladesh, making Bengali his mother tongue and connecting him closer to the culture. This is his first long-form narrative film after directing two of his debut short films.

Set in a small village in Assam, the film follows the protagonist Eka, a 17-year-old boy. The character revolves around the same concept –– a realistic and lifelike character. The director says, “Eka as a concept is metaphorically an art which imitates life.” While at home during the lockdown, inspiration struck him and he developed the script and shot the film while there. He says, “This film came from a very personal perspective…a story of superstition, loneliness and grief and the metaphorical aspect of the same.” Featuring the lives of three brothers, the arthouse drama-thriller inspires introspection, imagination, and thought that goes far beyond its 50-minute run time.

Newcomer Subhrajyoti Chakraborty plays Eka and stuns in saturated shades of grey, blue, and red and Soumya Das and Pallab Bhattacharjee play the roles of Abir and Rabi respectively, Eka’s older brothers. The film took only two weeks to shoot entirely, and to maintain the dark theme, they shot from late afternoon to the wee hours of the night.

Ghosh’s films are a gorgeous blend of mood and music, with lighting and sound taking centre stage. Through projects rooted in realism and documented cultures, Eka specifically stands out through Ghosh’s unique perspective of his own lived experiences, while observing the people in his life as well as the psychology and philosophies of the people living around him.

Extremely connected to Eka the character, Ghosh hopes that his film will, “Reach the ones who connect with it immediately.” He hopes that people watching the film will understand and value the craft of filmmaking. He also intentionally scripted the film in Bengali to show an alternative language to represent Assam.

Releasing soon, it is also being sent to film festivals everywhere and you can keep a track of the dates on their Instagram page. You can also watch the film’s theatrical trailer on Ghosh’s Instagram here.

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