Maniram Dewan

The film dramatises the life of Maniram Dewan, a prominent figure of Assamese history, in the period after the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826 when the East India Company gradually took over the rule of Assam. People first welcomed British rule, but resentment soon began to burn beneath the surface. The script drew on historian Benudhar Sharma's account of Maniram Dewan and Pravin Phukan's play of the same name.

The idea began in 1962, when actors who regularly performed at the Kumar Bhaskar Natya Mandir in Guwahati's Uzan Bazaar decided to make a film out of Jugal Das's play Phalgu. The financier Apurba Choudhury preferred the story of Maniram Dewan, a play that had already been staged several times to popular acclaim. Sarbeswar Chakrabarty wrote the screenplay and dialogue and directed, and Choudhury produced under the Choudhury Chalachitra Pratisthan banner. The budget was 205,000 rupees. Chakrabarty was first considered for the lead, but Choudhury felt it would be hard for one man to direct and star, so Phani Sarma was cast.

The film was shot at Indrapuri Studio in Kolkata for four months, just as the Sino-Indian war broke out in 1962. Bhupen Hazarika's songs were recorded first at Technicians Studio. Many props of old Assam were brought from Assam itself, the artist Jugal Das designed the period interiors and the art director Batu Sen built the sets. Outdoor scenes were shot in Guwahati, Sivasagar and Shillong. The Kolkata and Hindi film actor Utpal Dutt played the British officer Holroyd and accepted half his fee. Among the Assamese cast only Phani Sarma and Eva Achao took fees. Choudhury also distributed the film himself.

The film opened on 10 January 1964.