Himjyoti Talukdar is steadily carving an audience for himself in the Northeast and outside through his poignant tales of character-driven narratives, which are high in emotional quotient. After Calendar, Taarikh, and Ilish, his latest directorial, Moromor Deuta (Dear Father), a beloved Assamese classic, has been adapted for a modern audience. It follows a father’s journey and the distance that grows between him and his son while he works in another state. With distances and unspoken struggles, it spotlights the fragility of familial relationships.
Excerpts:
What attracted you to Moromor Deuta?
In the ’90s Assam, for many of us, it wasn’t just a story; it was part of our growing up, included in the school curriculum and earlier published in a much-loved children’s magazine around 1989–90. That early connection stayed with me. Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia’s writing has a quiet depth that lingers, and I always felt there was something inherently cinematic about it. Adapting it into a film was revisiting something personal while sharing it with a wider audience.
How was the experience of adapting this literary work for the screen?
Since the film is based on a literary work, the core structure of the story is already in place, which makes certain aspects easier. But it also means you have to be careful about how much you reinterpret it because there’s always a concern about drifting away from the essence of the original.
Is there a difference between adaptation and an original script?
This is my first adaptation for the screen. With an original, you have creative freedom to build the world, characters, and narrative. But with an adaptation, the foundation is already there — you are working with a story that people may already know and connect with. So, the approach becomes more about interpretation than creation.
You are introducing Bodhisattva Sharma to Assamese cinema with Moromor Deuta. What made you choose him as the lead?
Bodhisattva is an exceptional young talent who has already made a strong impression with his performances in projects like All India Rank, Paatal Lok, and Rana Naidu. When I saw his work, I felt he had a rare innocence and honesty, which was important because the character is quite volatile and aggressive. That contrast made him interesting.
Moromor Deuta is said to be a teenage classic. Did you see it differently while adapting it?
While it is often seen as a story for teenagers, I felt it had layers that could connect just as strongly with adult audiences. I chose to reimagine the protagonist as a collegegoing young man in his late teens, around 19–20, rather than a younger teenage boy as in the original. In today’s context making the character slightly older would open up the story to more nuanced, contemporary concerns. It gave us the space to engage with deeper emotional and social realities while still holding on to the core spirit of the original narrative.
Tell us about the film festival experiences with Moromor Deuta.
Our immediate focus is to take the film to theatres across regions and ensure a proper theatrical release. After that, we plan to continue its festival journey. The film has already had its premiere at the Chennai International Film Festival 2025 in December and was also screened at the International Film Festival of Delhi 2026, where it received an overwhelming response from audiences.
How did the process of making this film shape you as a director?
We spent nearly three to four years developing the script, and throughout the process, there was always a sense of responsibility and a bit of fear about whether the interpretation might affect the essence of a work by such a respected author. The entire journey of making the film was both demanding and deeply challenging.
What are the other genres you’d like to explore?
I’m drawn to stories that feel rooted in a specific context yet connect on a universal level, regardless of genre. Going forward, I’d like to explore more character-driven narratives, and I’m particularly interested in working on stories centred on women, as well as delving into romance and thrillers.
What are you working on next?
My next plan is to develop a sequel to my first feature film, Calendar. The initial draft of the script is complete, and I’m refining it now. I feel there’s still more to explore within that world and its characters.
Moromor Deuta hits screens in Assam on May 15.
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