Filmmaker Dhruva Jyoti Bordoloi, known for films like Dooronir Nirola Poja (Home, faraway) and Kokaideu Bindaas has released a new short film titled Baartalaap.
The short film is based on a conversation between two childhood friends Jhanabi and Ananta. Their meeting after a long time however takes a turn when past issues concerning Ananta’s abandonment comes into forefront while discussing about the irrelevance of the contemporary education system.
Ananta’s frustration with the existing system of education lies in the fact that it is rigid and not preparing young students to meet the demands time. According to him, equipping students with a diverse set of skills should be prioritised rather than moulding everyone in the same vessel. Jhanabi, who is now a part of the system as a teacher, counters his views by sharing about the responsibilities of the system in the collective upliftment of the students who are not necessarily from well to do families.
As a teacher in a rural government school, Jhanabi’s perspective is shaped by the reality of working within the system. Therefore, she also talks about the realities of change and the challenges of changing the system from within. She also critiques Ananta’s desire to abandon and escape (as he had done previously) rather than engaging with the issue.
Made under the banner of Pixelray Films, the film offers an emotional portrayal of the conflict between idealism and pragmatism. As the weight of the couple’s past lingers in the background, so too does the broader question of what it means to invest in change, whether it’s for a relationship or a broken system. The film tries to say that meaningful change takes time, and it’s not enough to simply walk away from the problem. Change requires effort, persistence, and sometimes, even a willingness to believe in it.
The cast of the film includes Jatindra Nath, Bidisha Devi, Sankar Jyoti Bhuyan, and Nihar Barman. The cinematography is credited to Brojen Baruah and Dhurva J Bordoloi and the background music is credited to Madhurja Das. The sound designing and mixing is done by Abinash Saikia. Baartalaap is written, edited, produced & directed by Dhurva J Bordoloi with Bhaskar Kaushik as assistant director.
