Upcoming filmmakers are attempting to widen the horizon of the content and concept of Assamese film with non-traditional form and content. PIKSHASH, a unique Assamese film, which released last Friday, stands out for its suspense and mystery genre.

Writer-director Amit Rag shares his intense journey with the characters. ‘The emotional journey and pain of Maya, Chaya, Mohit and Danuj were very excruciating indeed. I felt suffocated and stressed. My main aim in this film was to explore the psyche of each of them, and I tried to delve as deeply as possible into the minds of the characters. This challenge was not only during writing the film but also during the shooting, editing and post works. It was tiring and tough for me. But, overall, the experience was quite eye-opening.’

One of the Lead actors, Achinta, says, ‘The character I played in Pikhash is a dream role for any actor. It has the potential and scope to experiment and explore human psychology and behaviour. I am grateful to the director, Amitav Borah (da) and the producers for taking me on board with the project. To be honest. It was not at all easy. The profound scenes required a lot of energy, but what encouraged me was the enthusiasm of our young and energetic team. I am lucky to be a part of this fantastic team. Rest is up to the audience.’

Indrani Gogoi says, ‘I suffered a lot of mental pain while living the life of Chaya. The character I play taught me to be sensitive. If I had suffered so much mentally while playing that character, we wouldn’t even think how many such children are suffering around us.’

Lead actress Jeanette says, ‘Getting cast for such a character, with lots of work, was itself a privilege and equally a significant challenge in the first place. On top of that, it was my debut too. My debut experience with a character that has all the five flavours of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami was overall a colourful experience of pleasure, pain, labour & victory. It felt good hearing the applauses at the end of long, intense sequences. And some of the scenes came out great in the very first take. I consider this a significant phase of my career.’

Word of mouth has so far helped the film in attracting a good audience.