Namrata DATTA’s short fiction film Patralekha has been officially invited to the 12th edition of the Rajasthan International Film Festival (RIFF), scheduled to be held in Jodhpur from 31 January to 4 February. The invitation marks yet another significant milestone for the film, which has been steadily drawing national attention for its sensitive engagement with music, memory, and migration.
Patralekha draws its emotional and conceptual core from Sudhakantha Bhupen Hazarika’s iconic song of the same name. Using the song not merely as a musical reference but as a cultural and emotional anchor, Namrata DATTA has crafted the film through her own original screenplay. The result is a deeply personal cinematic response to Hazarika’s lyrical universe—one that resonates with contemporary realities while remaining rooted in Assamese cultural memory.
The film was earlier screened at the Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), held in Goa—one of the most prestigious platforms for Indian cinema. Its presence at Indian Panorama brought Patralekha to the attention of critics, curators, and festival programmers from across the country.
Speaking about his decision to include the film at RIFF, Festival Director Somendra Harshvardhan said:
“I have always been an admirer of Bhupen Hazarika’s songs. That was precisely why I watched Patralekha with particular interest at IFFI. The film did not merely meet my expectations—it went far beyond them. I was present at the press conference organised there, and it was at that very moment that I decided Patralekha must be screened at the Rajasthan International Film Festival.”
It may be noted that films selected for Indian Panorama are preserved by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), which also facilitates their screening at various national and international film festivals. In this case too, NFDC formally forwarded Patralekha to RIFF. Further recognition came from Peacock, the official festival magazine published during IFFI, which listed Patralekha among the five most notable short films showcased at the festival.
Renowned film critic Narendra Bandabai showered high praise on the film, particularly drawing attention to its nuanced treatment of urban migration. He described this thematic strand as one of the film’s most striking strengths, noting how seamlessly it is woven into the narrative without losing emotional subtlety.
The two central roles in Patralekha are played by Nandini Barua and Hemanta Debnath, whose restrained performances add depth and authenticity to the film’s quiet emotional landscape. Shot against a backdrop that thoughtfully blends rural and urban spaces, the film’s cinematography by Ratul Barman enhances its reflective mood. Sound design and music are handled by Abhijit Barman, while editing has been done by Jhulan Krishna Mahanta. Rendered in black and white, the film consciously evokes a sense of timelessness, memory, and longing.
Made on the occasion of Bhupen Hazarika’s birth centenary, Patralekha is widely regarded as a deeply felt cinematic tribute to the legendary artist. More than a commemorative work, the film stands as a dialogue between generations—between song and cinema, past and present, village and city.
