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{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Basundhara ... the earth
| image = Basundhara the earth Poster.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Hiren Bora
| producer = Hiren Bora
| writer = Hiren Bora
| screenplay = Hiren Bora Sagar Sangam Sarkar Birinchi Kumar Medhi
| starring = [[Bishnu Kharghoria]] [[Barsha Rani Bishaya]] Saurav Hazarika Ifftikar Ahmed Prithiraj Rabha
| music = [[Tarali Sarma]]
| cinematography = Vivek Banerjee
| editing = Ashit Basu
| studio = Surabhi Enterprise (TV and Film Division) 
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|df=y|2009|11|13|Kolkata|2010|1|15}}
| runtime = 113 minutes
| country = India
| language = Assamese
| budget = ₹ 52 lakh
| gross = ₹ 87 lakh
}}

'''''Basundhara''''' ({{Lang-as|বসুন্ধৰা}}, {{Lang-en|The Earth}}) is a 2009 Indian [[Cinema of Assam|Assamese]] [[drama film]] directed and produced by Hiren Bora, with a screenplay by Sagar Sangam Sarkar, Birinchi Kumar Medhi and Bora himself. It stars Barsha Rani Bishaya in the title role, and Saurav Hazarika, Bishnu Kharghoria, Ifftikar Ahmed, and Prithiraj Rabha in other major roles. The film deals with a pressing contemporary ecological issue of human-elephant conflict in the region of [[Assam]].

''Basundhara'' won the [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Assamese|Best Feature Film in Assamese]] award in the [[57th National Film Awards]] for 2009.<ref name="57thawardPDF">{{cite web | url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/57thNFA.pdf | title=57th National Film Awards | publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]] | accessdate=16 January 2013 | pages=112–113 }}</ref>

==Plot==
The wild elephants living in the forest terrain of Sundarpur have been making life difficult for its inhabitants with their frequent attacks. Shattered by her fiancé’s infidelity, Basundhara ([[Barsha Rani Bishaya]]), a young [[Non-governmental organization|NGO]] activist arrives at Sundarpur with the agenda to change the mindset of villagers towards the need for conservation of flora and fauna. But the villagers have failed to understand her intention, and her first meeting with them turns out to be a total fiasco. Incidentally, she comes in contact with Arjun (Saurabh Hazarika), a local young journalist. Arjun reveals to her how a large area of the forest has been cleared for illegal trafficking of ivory and timber and also for setting up of a stone quarry by Bikash Barua (Ifftikar Ahmed), a forest contractor-cum-local mafia, with the help of dishonest forest officials. Basundhara then realises the real reason behind driving the elephants to attack the village. She determines to fight against this and forms her own team of volunteers, composed of village youth who earlier worked for Bikash Barua. She starts welfare activities for the underprivileged people.

At her insistence, Arjun publishes a report in the newspaper which is a searing expose of the illegal activities of Bikash Barua and his associates. Basundhara’s mother, who now stays alone in the city, dies under mysterious circumstances. Basundhara and her team members are also threatened by the miscreants to stop the mission. But she decides not to quit Sundarpur and her mission. The situation takes a different turn. In view of the forthcoming elections, the dishonest ranger is transferred and an honest officer joins in his place. He provides all support to Basundhara. She collects substantial proof to expose Bikash Barua and finally achieves her goal.<ref name="AT">{{cite news | url=http://www.assamtribune.com/jan2210/panorama1.html | title=A green cause | work=[[The Assam Tribune]] | date=22 January 2010 | accessdate=16 January 2013 | author=Das, Apurba Kumar | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001195732/http://www.assamtribune.com/jan2210/panorama1.html | archivedate=1 October 2012 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Cast==
* [[Barsha Rani Bishaya]] as ''Basundhara'', a young NGO activist
* Saurabh Hazarika as ''Arjun'', a young local journalist of Sundarpur
* Iftekar Ahmed as ''Bikash Barua'', a corrupt businessman of Sundarpur
* [[Bishnu Khargharia]]
* Prithiraj Rabha
* Bhagawat Pritam
* Moitreyee Goswami
* Bhranti Medhi
* Rita Bora

==Release==
Basundhara was the first Assamese language film to release in 2010.<ref name="MeriNews">{{cite web | url=http://www.merinews.com/article/basundhara-first-assamese-movie-released-in-2010/15795204.shtml | title=Basundhara: First Assamese movie released in 2010 | date=23 January 2010 | accessdate=16 January 2013 | author=Ibrahim, Asif | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124174141/http://www.merinews.com/article/basundhara-first-assamese-movie-released-in-2010/15795204.shtml | archive-date=24 November 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> It was released on 15 January 2010 initially at Cinemax, [[Guwahati]] with inauguration by [[List of Chief Ministers of Assam|the chief minister of Assam]] [[Tarun Gogoi]].<ref name="AT"/>

===Film Festivals===
The film was screened in many film festivals prior to its theatrical release. It includes 15th [[Kolkata International Film Festival]], [[Kolkata]] (13 November 2009),<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.asklaila.com/event/Kolkata/Assamese-Film-Basundhara/116969/ | title=Assamese Film: Basundhara @ Bharatnatyam Cultural Multiplex | accessdate=16 January 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124181247/http://www.asklaila.com/event/Kolkata/Assamese-Film-Basundhara/116969/ | archive-date=24 November 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> 8th Third Eye Asian Film Festival, Mumbai (2009) and 8th Pune International Film Festival, [[Pune]] (2010).<ref name="HirenBora">{{cite web | url=http://hirenbora.wordpress.com/ | title=Hiren Bora's Blog | accessdate=16 January 2013}}</ref> Later it was also screened as India Habitat Film Festival, New Delhi (2010), Thrissur International Film Festival, Kerala (2010), South Asian Film Festival, Goa (2010) etc.<ref name="HirenBora"/>

==Reception==

===Critical reception===
The film was generally met with positive reviews by critics. [[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] termed it as "simple, clear and flawless."<ref name="tele">{{cite news | url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100122/jsp/northeast/story_12014614.jsp | title=Simple, clear and flawless | work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] | date=22 January 2010 | accessdate=16 January 2013}}</ref> Eastern Panorama also praised the film along with its cinematography, music and acting.<ref name="EP">{{cite web | url=http://www.easternpanorama.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1164:basundharathe-earth&catid=62:october | title=Basundhara...the earth: the only film from assam winning national award this year | publisher=Eastern Panorama | accessdate=16 January 2013}}</ref> The acting of the cast, especially Barsha Rani Bishaya in the lead role, was also widely appreciated.<ref name="tele"/>

==Music==
The music of the film was directed by [[Tarali Sarma]]. It features only one song, penned by noted lyricist Dr Birinchi Kumar Medhi, sung by the music director herself.<ref name="EP"/>

==Awards==
The film won the [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Assamese|Best Feature Film in Assamese]] award in the [[57th National Film Awards]] for 2009.<ref name="57thawardPDF"/> It also received Rup Kunwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla Award for Best film along with eight other major award at Assam Film Award, 2010 awarded by the cultural department of [[government of Assam]]. Other awards includes Best feature film along with nine awards at Moon Light Media Awards 2009-10.<ref name="HirenBora"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|tt8826086}}

{{National Film Award Best Feature Film Assamese}}

[[Category:2009 films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Assamese-language films]]
[[Category:Films set in Assam]]
[[Category:Best Assamese Feature Film National Film Award winners]]
[[Category:2000s Assamese-language films]]

Basundhara (2009 film) - Revision history

>TaDrian58 at 03:55, 4 June 2021