Anek goes the extra mile to explore North East India’s problems despite it’s failure

Anubhav Sinha , the politically minded mainstream filmmaker, has faced failure with Anek. Having delivered successful films and conversation starters like Article 15 and Mulk , which deal with socio-political realities, Sinha feels Anek failed because it is too political for a casual watch.

But Sinha isn’t alone is facing failure when he ventured into the geographical and geopolitical complexities of North East India. Filmmakers that have made a difference to Indian cinema have floundered in getting the North East right. Be it Mani Ratnam with Dil Se or Vishal Bharadwaj with Rangoon , something about getting the region integrated cinematically into the mainstream, doesn’t work.

Being of ‘north eastern’ origin (Assamese by birth), and having spent my formative years in the region, I can safely say- it’s got nothing to do with good or bad cinema. The fundamental fact is that integration of the North East into the mainstream Indian discourse, at any level, is always going to be difficult. A film, restricted to 3 hours in length, is definitely not going to be able to tell a story so old and so complicated.

Sinha has stated that the use of generic ‘North East’ in his storytelling in Anek went wrong. Number plates bearing NE XXXX in the film got mocked on social media. But this was to expected. Ask any citizen to name all the states in this region, and you will have your answer. Not many know and even few care. The nation’s furthermost eastern region consists of 8 states, and is often referred to as the Seven Sisters mistakenly. ach state of the region has faced separate insurgencies, some demanding complete independence (ULFA); others rejecting the Indian state (factions of NSCN) and then still others, demanding autonomy over micro regions. Each state has also faced its various versions of military operations, raids and government high handedness.

The recent mistaken shooting of Naga youth by an elite unit of the Indian Defence Forces is just one lead on for multiple incidents recorded in post-Independence history. In 1976 Indian Air Force, on orders of PM Indira Gandhi , had bombed Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, strafing neighbouring towns and the hills, to oust the growing Mizo National Front revolt. Lal Denga, who later became Chief Minister of Mizoram, led the MNF to attack Assam Rifles garrisons, drew the Center’s wrath, and the movement was crushed. Homes were burnt, villagers left destitute and children orphaned, all with government sanction. The violence and insurgency of ULFA is well known to most and NSCN continues to hold out in parts of Nagaland. AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) rides a reign of fear in Manipur; and the list could go on.

Yet when it comes to making a film Ratnam chose a fleeting Assamese Gamucha (traditional head gear) totting insurgent leader in a radio interview to establish discontent. His suicide bomber, beautiful terrorist ( Manisha Koirala ) inexplicably had links to Ladakh. Then there were references to army rapes and violence against people, without specifics or time periods. As young students super excited to watch a film about our region, we left the cinema hall scratching our heads over the film’s plot and marveled over it’s stunning imagery and brilliant soundtrack.

Vishal Bharadwaj is an auteur, one who has told Indian stories in fascinating detail and coherent narrative. He has created unforgettable characters with Maqbool, Omkara and Haider. But Rangoon, his biggest flop, reflects the lack of research and connect that Hindi cinema has with realities of North East Indian states. Titled Rangoon, the historic capital of colonial Burma, it is set on the riverine, porous border between India and Myanmar. Shooting in the North East the film utilizes one of the most picturesque landscapes of the region, Pasighat and Pangin in Arunachal Pradesh. But that’s it. The region and Its relevance in shaping the raids on Rangoon, the impact of World War 2 and the historic Ledo Road, find no mention. Why would Bharadwaj, a man with an eye for detail and a ear for salt of the earth stories, not find a suitable foundation for North East India? That remains a mystery.

Rock On 2 , an attempt at highlighting the redeeming role that music plays in North East India, is plagued by superficiality. Hrre a rock singer (or supposed rock singer, in purist terms) somehow decides to upgrade and save a local Meghalaya village from disaster by organizing a crowd funded concert with local bands. A messy storyline with too many characters end up finding solutions for common people in an artificial attempt at herogiri.

The North east is not a region that can be merged with the mainstream in a single, sweeping grand flourish. For instance Nicolas Kharkongar’s niche film about life as a North Eastern in Delhi in Axone did very well on Netflix. Shot almost entirely in the NE lane of Humayunpur, Safdarjung Enclave, Delhi, this story is set around a fetid, unique dish from Manipur; and the manner in which it underlines prejudice and identity for a region that is often misunderstood or mistreated. Then there’s The Last Hour, which is far from being a fine web series, but is unique in its location specific thriller that merges exotic supernatural Jhakris (Zikiris) from Assam; West Bengal in a north east like set up. A success on Prime Video, this show highlights the curiosity around stories and fables from this region.

Literature from eastern India has inspired cinema over time. While Kalpana Lajmi made the poignant Ek Pal (1986) from Maitreyi Devi’s short story, the same author’s popular and highly regarded novel Na Hanyate never got credit for it’s melodramatic adaptation in Sanjay Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Given this ambivalent history, I found Anubhav Sinha’s Anek a fair and sincere attempt at bringing alive the remote problems of an important part of India. Be it rotting fruit at the chicken neck transit due to a babu’s orders, or the sheer alienation of a people, Anek has it’s heart at the right place. It attempts to highlight inherent structural problems in India’s relationship with the North East. If it were a 3 part mini series, it might have done brilliantly. The region has also drawn The Family Man 3 for it’s intrigue and insurgencies. That one is worth watching out for.

Archita Kashyap is an experienced journalist and writer on film, music, and pop culture. She has handled entertainment content for broadcast news and digital platforms over 15 years. 

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