Assam’s magic-realist tale with Bangladeshi touch headed to Busan Film Fest

The 30th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), one of Asia's most prestigious film events, will open in South Korea on September 17. Among its Vision Asia selections this year is an Assamese-language film with a striking Bangladeshi connection.

The film, "Kok Kok Kookkook", is directed by young filmmaker Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap. But what sets it apart is the presence of Bangladeshi producer SM Nazmul Haque, who helped transform what began as a student project into a full-length feature.

"Kok Kok Kookkook" originated as a dissertation project at Kolkata's Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), where both Kashyap and Nazmul studied. Initially funded as a medium-length exercise, the students expanded it into a feature — a first for SRFTI's final projects.

"No dissertation film from SRFTI has ever become a feature or been selected for an international festival," said Nazmul. "This is a historic first."

A surreal story from Assam

Blending magic realism with horror drama, the film is rooted in Kashyap's hometown of Guwahati. It confronts themes of migration, fragile identities, and the struggle for survival, while painting an unflinching portrait of urban life's grit and beauty.

The cast features Raju Roy, Esther Jama Paulino Keni, Rupjyoti Das, Manik Roy, Manoj Gogoi, and Siddharth Mukherjee. Editing was done by Sadang Arangham, with sound design and mixing by Arnab Bora.

A Bangladeshi voice in Assamese cinema

Nazmul describes the film as "born out of memory and fear, out of hope and resistance." He dedicates it to those "who once embraced diversity, but whose identities are now being silenced."

For him, the story resonates across borders, he explained, "These struggles are not unfamiliar in Bangladesh. Migration, displacement, and fractured identities echo throughout our history. Cinema can preserve such fragility and remind us of forgotten truths."

Another Bangladeshi, cinematographer Shingkhanu Marma, was also part of the crew.

The team has already received official invitations from BIFF. If visa hurdles are cleared, Nazmul hopes to attend the festival in person.

The Vision Asia section is known for spotlighting daring and experimental works by emerging Asian filmmakers. Industry insiders consider it a key space for shaping the future of Asian cinema.

With its journey from classroom project to the Busan spotlight, "Kok Kok Kookkook" carries both Assamese roots and Bangladeshi imprints — a reminder that cinema, like migration itself, transcends borders.