Reasons To Watch Kahinir Aror Kahini: First Assamese Found Footage Film

Found footage is an exciting style of film subgenre. It was first introduced in 1980 with the Italian horror film Cannibal Holocaust, directed by Ruggero Deodato and written by Gianfranco Clerici.

The style was reintroduced in 1992 with the Belgian black comedy crime mockumentary Man Bites Dog.

However, neither of these films left an impression on the audience. It was 7 years later, in 1999, with the release of The Blair Witch Project, that this style of filmmaking began getting recognition, and audiences also started to pay more attention to it.

One of the most famous and iconic scenes from The Blair Witch Project was a young woman staring into the camera, crying, hyperventilating, and speaking directly to her audience.

Apart from being arguably the most famous scene, it is also the most parodied found-footage image in horror cinema.

Many film aficionados even claim that this scene is perhaps one of the defining images of world cinema in the 1990s.

Today, found footage is one of the most preferred techniques while shooting horror movies or scenes.

However, the technique comes with several challenges and tests the patience of filmmakers. Only a handful of filmmakers dare to use this technique.

Among the few found footage movies made in India are LSD: Love Sex Aur Dhokha, 6-5=2, Case No. 666/2013, etc.

Story Behind The Chirag Project: Kahinir Aror Kahini is the latest on the list. The movie is also the first found-footage film in Assamese.

The story is set in Mayong, a village in the Morigaon district of Assam, approximately 40 km from Guwahati. The movie narrates the events of a day in the lives of four budding filmmakers as they go location hunting for their film, The Chirag Project.

It is the story of how paranormal sequences strangle these filmmakers and what ultimately happens to them.

It stars Himangshu Gogoi, Suprabhat Gope, Kaushik Nath, and Pompi Borah in the leads.

Sourav Baishya directs the 1:38-hour-long film. He has also written the story and screenplay, in addition to handling the camera and editing.

It is an honestly made movie, with every actor essaying their role with ease and comfort, and when you watch the film, you won’t even for a minute feel that they were acting.

The dialogue and delivery are natural, and everything appears impromptu and unscripted.

As the language used is youth-centric, one can easily connect with it.

The use of ambient light and sound makes the movie-watching experience engrossing, and you are not bored for even a split second.

Mayong was once considered the cradle of black magic in India. The director subtly highlights this fact. He uses folklore and myths to establish the horror element in the story. This is a commendable approach.

Even though there was room for improvement, the film’s VFX and editing were praiseworthy.

The movie is not loud, and we don’t see any exaggeration whatsoever, nor is there any unnecessary background music, which makes it even more engaging.

Like most found-footage films, this film was popularised as a real story when it was released in 2019. The social media accounts of the actors were also deactivated for a few months, and news of their deaths was also carried in some newspapers.

Had the movie got a proper theatrical release, I am sure it would have gone on to become one of the pioneering films of the Assamese film industry.

The film’s digital release was also halted, and it is now available on YouTube. If you wish to watch this engrossing horror tale, then click here.

This is a sincere effort from a young team, and we should appreciate it.

The movie successfully makes the right impact. Read the comments, and you will know what I mean. Some of the comments are- “Till last, I thought it was a true Story, really it scared me. Good work, Sourav dada. “I can’t imagine that this film is in Assamese. You guys are awesome. Keep it up, bros. Our blessings are always with you.” The film ended with a disclaimer that it was all fictitious, and that’s when I realised it wasn’t real footage. This is by far the best Assamese movie I’ve come across. Keep up the good work!”

Story Behind The Chirag Project: Kahinir Aror Kahini is certainly a horror film not to be missed if you are a fan of the genre.

We can take away a lot of positives from this first found-footage Assamese horror film.

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