Beautiful lives

Ajay is a 28-year-old rickshaw puller who loses the use of his arms and legs in a bomb blast. Physically disabled but still driven by strong desires, he is torn by inner conflict, and the loss of his lover after the blast adds to his struggles.

His mother Dashami, who pays for his treatment and keeps him fed, invites a woman abandoned by her husband to be intimate with him so that his needs are met. Society disapproves of the arrangement. In the end Dashami gives her son poison and takes it herself, ending both their lives.

The film runs 123 minutes and was shot in Guwahati, Mangaldai, Kaziranga and Majuli. Before making it, the director studied the mental condition of people who have lived through events such as bomb blasts, consulting a neurosurgeon. Its depiction of physical intimacy and kissing drew controversy and made it one of the much-discussed Assamese releases of 2017.

Kangkan Deka wrote the story and screenplay as well as directing, and produced the film with Bhaskar Lekharu and Rajib Phukan under Carnel Film Production. Mithun Chandra was the cinematographer, Jyoti Bhattacharya the art director and Biswa Kalita the make-up artist. Bhagawat Pritam composed the music, with sound arrangement by Amrit Pritam Dutta. The cast includes Pakija Begum, Jayanta Bhagawati, Baloram Das, Ashrumoni Bora, Juri Dutta, Dharitri Jumi Kalita, Nayan Saikia and Pratibha Chaudhury.

At the 7th Assam State Film Awards the film won Best Debut Director and Best Makeup. At the Prague Cine Awards 2017 it was recognised for Best Director, Best Styling (Biswa Kalita), Best Actress (Pakija Begum) and Best Music Arrangement (Amrit Pritam Dutta).