The makers of the Assamese film Prastawana – The Preamble recently unveiled its poster, trailer, and soundtrack at an event at Juripar, Panjabari in Guwahati. Announced last year, the upcoming film, a directorial collaboration between Dilip Borah and Manik Roy, is now ready for release.
Inspired by Dilip Borah’s acclaimed novel ‘Yatra,‘ Prastawana – The Preamble is based on true events and produced by Borah himself, alongside Dr. Rabin Saikia. Borah, a celebrated novelist, short story writer, essayist, and columnist, brings his original storytelling and insightful narratives to the screen. Co-directing with Borah is Manik Roy, a prominent figure in Assam’s amateur theatre community and founder of Guwahati Shishu Natya Vidyalay (established in 1998). Roy contributes his expertise from directing acclaimed state and national-level theatre productions.
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Prastawana – The Preamble explores the current social and political landscape of the nation and its impact on students entangled in the political system. The film offers a candid depiction of how political interference can compromise the fundamental objectives of education, highlighting the underlying injustices and exploitative dynamics that emerge.
Essentially, the film serves as a rallying cry for today’s young generation. It emphasizes the importance of safeguarding democratic values and seeks to educate the public on the ideas of justice, equality, liberty, and fraternity, which are enshrined in the Indian Constitution and represent the spirit of the world’s largest democracy.
Dilip Borah stated his objective to release Prastawana – The Preamble within two to three months. “The film is crafted to address and portray prevalent issues in contemporary society, including growing distrust, communal unrest, caste-based judgments, and attempts to mislead the younger generation,” Borah remarked. He hopes to bring these critical issues to the forefront through this cinematic endeavor. “The main theme of ‘Prastawana – The Preamble’ is based on justice, equality, liberty, and fraternity. It is my hope that this message will be favorably received,” Borah added.
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Veteran actor Tapan Das reflected on his involvement, stating, “This represents a novel experience for me. I have previously engaged with Dilip Borah’s highly regarded and celebrated novel ‘Yatra,’ which captivated me upon reading. The character I portray poses a considerable challenge, and I have strived to meet all expectations under his guidance.”
Dilip Borah wrote the story and screenplay for Prastawana – The Preamble. Bitul Das handled cinematography, while Anmol Raj Saikia and Bhaskar Dutta served as assistant directors. The film was edited by National Award-winning editor A. Sreekar Prasad and Jhulan Krishna Mahanta. Arnab Bora designed the soundscape, Debajit Gayan handled sound mixing, Gulok Saha was the art director, and Sumon Phukan oversaw costumes. Ghanashyam Kalita handled color grading, and Mrigank Pratic Parashar carried out VFX & CGI work.
Uttam Deka served as the production controller, and Nilakshi Neog did the still photography. The film features three musical pieces: “Swahidor Kesa Rocktere,” composed and performed by Satya Ranjan Bhuyan; “O Maji Re,” with music, lyrics, and vocals by Hiteswar Ray; and a Jeng Bihu song, performed by well-known artiste Manjyotsna Mahanta, with lyrics from Amarjyoti Kakoty and Swapna Jyoti Thengal.
Quan Bay scored the film’s background music. The film stars veteran actor Tapan Das in the lead role, supported by a talented cast including Paarvee Baruah, Hillol Kumar Pathak, Debajit Mazumdar, Aswini Kumar Bhuyan, Abatosh Bhuyan, Kaushik Nath, RK, Simanta Raj Sarma Kondoli, Manik Roy, and Antara GG Choudhury.