GUWAHATI, Sept 21 - Vaishnava - Being Humane, a short dance film made by a group of Assamese people, bagged the Best Music Video (Jury) award at the 7th Indian Cine Film Festival, 2019 held in Mumbai recently.
Directed by Rukshana Tabassum, the film is produced and choreographed by Mridusmita Das along with Dipjyoti-Dipankar and the script is by Padmapani Bora. The music of the film has been composed by Rupam Bhuyan.
The film is an attempt at bringing together Mahatma Gandhi�s favourite bhajan �Vaishnav Jana To�, composed by Adi-Kavi Narsinh Mehta of Gujarat, and Srimanta Sankaradeva�s excerpts from the �Kirtana� running with the raga and tala of Sattriya music and Borgeet.
The film has been produced as a tribute to the Father of the Nation on his 150th birth anniversary through Sattriya dance. The bhajan �Vaishnav Jana To� was a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi as it advocated the ideals he followed in his own life.
Commenting on the achievement, Mridusmita Das said, �It feels great to present a tribute to the Father of The Nation, Mahatma Gandhi in a Sattriya Style. The entire dance film is based on the ideas of two Bhakti Movement poets, Narsinh Mehta from Gujarat and Srimanta Sankaradeva from Assam. The entire idea is inspired by the lifestyle of the Father of the Nation who lived a life influenced by empathy, humility, purity of thoughts, truth, respect towards all living beings and these were the guiding principles that made Gandhi a world leader and influenced millions.�
Padmapani Bora said, �Vaishnava as a noun means a devotee of Lord Vishnu. In essence it refers to the ideal virtuous man. A true Vaishnava is marked by his actions and his beliefs, and he is the one who is empathetic, compassionate, respects others and is pure in his thoughts and actions guided by the same principle of empathy, humility, purity of mind, truth and morality.�
