What If The ‘Bira’ Became A Superhero?

First things first: before going forward with this article, pause, think and answer this question: did you ever think Assam could also have its own superhero universe?

A universe like the MCU or DCU, where every superhero has their own backstory, an original history, and an individual character arc that resonates and connects with viewers? And where individual stories can eventually be stitched together to create a larger universe?

Well, if you ask me, I would straightaway say that I never expected Assamese films to build on the concept of a superhero universe.

Not because we were incapable of doing it, but mainly because our filmmakers have, for a very long time, been timid by nature and their vision has remained confined to what is considered safe.

In a nutshell, our filmmakers have been comfortable with familiar stories — family dramas, adaptations of popular novels and stories, films inspired by real-life and historical incidents, and films built around established formulas.

And with the passage of time, several filmmakers have also been busy making films that are blatant and unapologetic copies—not mere inspirations—of successful films made in other industries, mainly the Tamil and Telugu industries. Apart from a certain cosmetic makeover to suit the change in demography, there is hardly any value addition to the source material.

And if none of this works, then filmmakers fall back on the classics, making sequels or reboots that no one has ever asked for.

Well, there is nothing wrong with making family dramas, adapting literature, telling a simple story, or even borrowing from other industries. The problem, however, begins when an entire industry becomes too comfortable with the familiar.

With the introduction of new-age filmmakers, though, the scenario is changing. However, it is still far from being called satisfactory.

Cinema is also about taking risks, and the superhero genre is probably one of the biggest risks a filmmaker can take today. It is not enough to create a character with superhuman abilities, give him a costume, add a few action sequences and call it a superhero film.

A superhero needs a world and an origin. The character needs both lore and mythology. He needs rules.

And if you are talking about a superhero universe, you need much more than that. You need characters who can exist independently, stories that can stand on their own and, eventually, a larger narrative that can bring these characters together.

And even if someone dares to dream of a character with superhuman abilities, everything comes to a standstill at one point — where is the budget?

Yes, the Assamese film industry, if we can call it one, has been struggling with finances since time immemorial. With no established production houses and limited access to producers willing to take risks, the idea of an Assamese superhero universe sounds almost audacious.

Let me be optimistic and assume we have the necessary budget and finances for a superhero film, and that we can also storyboard the universe. The one question that remains is: where do we even begin?

Do we create an entirely fictional superhero from scratch? Do we borrow from mythology? Do we copy the MCU and DCU? Or do we look closer to home — at the countless characters that have existed in Assamese folklore for generations?

Apparently, filmmaker Alfred Haque, who debuted as a director with the 2022 film Ekalavya, has chosen the third option.

And that is where things get interesting.

Alfred Haque’s upcoming Assamese film Bira is not merely attempting to introduce another superhero to the audience. It is attempting to explore a character that already exists in Assamese folklore — a character that, traditionally, is not even a superhero but a ghost, a supernatural spirit.

And if you have grown up hearing Assamese folklore, you may already know what makes the Bira particularly fascinating.

In traditional Assamese belief, a Bira is a powerful supernatural spirit that is often described as being kept or controlled by a person. Folklore has it that some people ‘pet’ Biras, feeding them in exchange for wealth, prosperity and other benefits.

Biras are also associated in some accounts with violent or disruptive acts, while some folklore connects them with people experiencing emotional distress.

There are also stories of people possessing a Bira, feeding it and using its supernatural abilities for their own purposes.

Essentially, the Bira is not usually the one calling the shots. Someone else is. Someone keeps it, controls it and uses it.

Now, imagine taking that equation and turning it upside down.

What if the Bira is free? What if nobody owns it?

What if nobody can control it or tell it what to do? And what if, for the first time, the Bira gets to decide how it wants to use its powers? What if the Bira gets to decide with whom it wants to stay, not as a pet but as a friend? What if the Bira also has a love story of centuries to unfold? What if the Bira also has human emotions?

That is where a ghost can potentially become a superhero.

And that, at least on paper, is what makes Haque’s film such an intriguing proposition.

Because this is not simply about putting an Assamese name on a familiar superhero template; it is about taking something that has existed in our folklore for generations and asking: what happens if we look at it differently?

We have spent generations telling stories about supernatural beings. Perhaps it is time we allowed them to tell their own stories.

And perhaps that is where Assam’s superhero universe could begin.

No. Not could begin; it has already begun and is taking gradual baby steps.

Bira is the first film of the superhero universe that filmmaker Haque has conceived, as he plans to introduce other characters from Assamese folklore as superheroes and some as supervillains in the universe. Some of these characters will have a brief role to play in Bira.

Himanshu Gogoi, whom we have seen portraying various characters to date, will be essaying the character of Bira, and he is being supported by an ensemble cast comprising Partha Pratim, Amit Kumar Bora, Anushriya Kashyap, Ahiran Sharma, Sagarika Goswami, Mimangshi Baruah and Raju Roy, among others.

Himanshu Gogoi as Bira

The film’s story has been penned by Alfred himself, while he and Paplu Chetia have written the screenplay and dialogues.

Arinadam Deka is the cinematographer; Manash Kashyap edits the movie; Samin Das is the choreographer; and the music is by Ishanu.

For now, it is impossible to say whether Bira will work as a superhero film, or whether Haque’s larger plan for an Assamese superhero universe will eventually take shape.

But perhaps that is not the question we should be asking yet. The more interesting question is this: why did it take us so long to imagine that we could do this in the first place?

We have never really suffered from a shortage of stories. Assamese folklore is full of spirits, ghosts, legends and characters that have survived generations without a single frame of cinema to keep them alive.

What we lacked, perhaps, was the willingness to look at them differently.

A Bira was once something to be feared, controlled or used. Now, someone is asking us to imagine what happens when the Bira is free. And if that experiment works, perhaps the next superhero from Assam will not need to be invented at all. We may already know who he is.

And from whatever visuals I have seen so far from the shoot locations, all I can say is this: Bira is actually adorable. I want a friend like him too.

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