Filmmaker Chinmoy Barma aspires to take Assamese folklore and legends on a global platform
Assam’s Chinmoy Barma, a visual artist and filmmaker, is deeply passionate about bringing Assamese folklore and legends to life through cinema. Over the years, he has created over five short films that explore the beliefs and stories of people from the Northeastern part of India, aiming to preserve and share their rich cultural heritage, including his latest silent short film, Khiriki.
Khiriki explores love, folklore and self-discovery through a poetic lens
Khiriki, which means window, is about the quest of a man who is captivated by a woman’s beauty. Transcending the physical, he embarks on an emotional journey of self-discovery. As he delves into the depths of love, admiration, and vulnerability, he unravels parts of himself he never knew existed. In the film, the man sees the beautiful woman through a window, but it also feels like he’s looking into himself. The window becomes a symbol through which he not only finds her but also finally understands himself. We speak with Chinmoy to know more about the same.
Khiriki is pretty dark. How do you think people would receive this?
Darkness in art is both beautiful and important, as it reflects the complexities of the human experience — grief, fear, loss, isolation, and the hidden corners of the psyche that often remain unspoken. Even the Buddha taught us that suffering is an intrinsic part of life. Through Khiriki, I want my audience to confront that darkness, not as something to fear but as something to understand.
The film touches on LGBTQIA+ themes, and many people come into their identities later in life. Was there a real-life incident that inspired this narrative?
Khiriki touches on themes like cross-dressing and gender nonconformity. While it isn’t based on real-life inspirations, my upcoming short film, Hijra is inspired by the struggles of the kinnar community, which led me to explore the broader LGBTQIA+ experience. Through that research, my co-writer Karan and I came to see cross-dressing as both haunting and beautiful, a powerful form of expression and identity.
You have mentioned that Assamese folklore plays an important part in your short film. Does Khiriki have any connection to a particular legend or tale?
While Khiriki is not a direct adaptation, it draws thematic inspiration from the Assamese folktale Champawati, written by Lakshminath Bezbarua. In the original tale, Champawati’s beauty and virtue incite jealousy and lead to tragic consequences—a narrative arc that resonates with Khiriki’s exploration of desire, control, and loss. Khiriki explores how a man’s admiration turns into jealousy and then into wreckage.
Do you have plans to make long-form feature films in the future?
I am currently writing my first feature film. Since I haven’t attended a film school, I’ve treated my short films as a training ground, learning and experimenting with each project. Short films present a unique challenge — you must convey a complete and compelling story within a limited time frame, and mastering that brevity is where the true difficulty lies.
Where would you like to see Assamese folklore represented in the coming years?
The potential of Assamese folklore as a medium for education and the transmission of knowledge across generations is immense—it is truly a living treasure. I aspire for the world to recognise its richness and to learn from its profound cultural heritage. Observing how Western and Southeast Asian countries integrate their folklore into films and literature, I am convinced that Assamese folklore holds even greater potential to make a meaningful impact on a global scale.
Can the right audience be reached through short films?
I have been creating short films and art purely for the love of the craft, never with the intention of making a living from it. My goal has always been to express myself and share the stories rooted in our land. I believe that art eventually finds its right audience — it’s a slow process, but I have no complaints.
What are your future plans as a filmmaker?
I plan to craft films that enlighten, become catalysts for dialogue and social reflection, and provoke critical thinking. I am committed to telling stories that deserve to be heard, and I will never compromise the integrity of my art for fame or financial gain.
Are there other genres you’d like to experiment with? Do you plan to make films in Hindi or English?
I have made short films in the horror, suspense, and thriller genres. Now, I want to explore romance and drama. And my upcoming film Hijra will be in Hindi, while The White Shadow will be in Bengali and Hindi.
