MISHING - THE APPARITION
Synopsis of the film
Togbe Mahajan, a leading member of the Sherdukpen community of Arunachal Pradesh, meets a Manipuri driver Radha Binode Singh after buying a used vehicle in Assam. When the two men return to Togbe’s village, Singh reveals that he is an Army deserter. Togbe arranges fresh identity papers for his driver. The outsider stays on in his adopted home and becomes a part of the family.
The driver also develops a relationship with Maya, a Sherdukpen widow. He has a brush with Mishing, a local belief that the spirits of dying people can appear before those they love and communicate with them. One day, Singh sees himself dead at the wheels of his own car. Alarmed and baffled, he flees.
Many years later, Abu, Togbe’s son, receives a middle-aged visitor. He reveals that he is Radha Binode Singh. Reminiscing about bygone days, he asks Abu to visit him in Guwahati and collect a precious object that Togbe left in his custody. He then disappears without a trace.
Abu heads to Guwahati. There, he meets Singh’s son. The latter hands over Togbe’s possession to the visitor. Abu learns that Singh has been in a hospital in Vellore, southern India, for several months. Who, then, was the man who visited Abu?
Director’s staement
My intention is to showcase the culture of the Sherdukpen tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, which has an estimated population of only 4200 people. These people value their cultural moorings and folk. My goal is to do full justice to the traditional concept of Mishing. I believe that my film will help people experience the beauty of this part of India along with this community‟s strongly held otherworldly belief in wandering souls and spirits.
cast & crew
Producer
SULAKHYANA BARUAH
Co-Producer
BASANTA KUMAR BARUAH , DR. BOBBY SARMA BARUAH
2018/Sound: 5.1/Format: 16:9/India /Sherdukpen/ EST/ Duration: 75 min/Cinemascope/ Color
Story
BASED ON A NOVEL “MISHING” WRITTEN BY SAHITYA ACADAMI AWARDEE YESHE DORJEE THONGCHI
Concept, Casting, Research, Script and Direction
DR. BOBBY SARMA BARUAH
Cinematography
SONU
Editor
RATUL DEKA
Location Sound and Sound Design
RAHUL RABHA
Music
SHASHANK KOTHARI
Production Design
PHATIK BARUAH
Makeup
SANKU BARUAH
Costume
GITA RANI GOSWAMI
VFX, Graphics
DHIRUJYOTI BURAGOHAIN
Chief Assistant Director
UDAI BHASKAR PATAR
Assistant Director
RATUL DEKA, SULAKHYANA BARUAH
Cast
RAJIB KRO, TSERING DORJEE KHRIMEY, PREM DORJEE MONOJI, MALA GOSWAMI
in press
- https://nenow.in/north-east-news/arunachal-pradesh/arunachal-bobby-sarma-baruahs-sherdukpen-language-film-screened-kiff.html
- https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/award-winning-film-mishing-showcases-the-culture-of-the-sherdukpen-tribe-of-arunachal-pradesh/article30285404.ece
- https://kiff.in/archive/2018/official-selection/competition-on-indian-languages-films/248
- https://thestorymug.com/bobby-sarma-baruah-through-films-we-can-archive-our-culture/
- https://binj.in/tv-movies/award-winning-film-mishing-showcases-the-culture-of-the-sherdukpen-tribe-of-arunachal-pradesh/
- https://www.sentinelassam.com/north-east-india-news/arunachal-news/bobby-sarma-baruahs-new-film-mishing-is-an-attempt-at-preserving-the-sherdukpen-dialect/
- https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/entertainment/255986-mishing-attempts-to-preserve-arunachal-pradeshs-sherdukpen-dialect-filmmaker