On the one hand, Rima Das’ Assamese film Village Rockstars 2 is gearing up to compete for the Kim Jiseok Award at Busan International Film Festival 2024. On the other hand, closer home, there seem to be no takers for Assamese movies. A case in point being Sikaar, starring Adil Hussain, Zubeen Garg, and Urmila Mahanta. When producer Sam Bhattacharjee approached Prime Video India three weeks ago to be the movie’s streaming partner, the suits at the platform turned down the offer. In an email sent to the makers, the streaming giant revealed that its focus for the 2025-26 slate is limited to mainstream films in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi, and Gujarati. Strangely, it excludes Assamese language productions from consideration for its roster.

To the makers, this exclusion feels like another instance of cultural and linguistic marginalisation that people in North-east India face. Director Debangkar Borgohain, whose drama will hit the theatres on September 20, criticises the move. “We faced mass visa rejections [for the UK] for our cast and crew when Sikaar was being made. Now, with streaming giants ignoring our language, it feels like we’re being denied our right to be part of India’s cultural landscape,” says Borgohain.