Assamese film ‘Goodbye Guruji’ to premiere at Festival Gange Sur Seine in Paris

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 7, 2025

Assamese filmmaker Arunjit Borah’s latest feature Goodbye Guruji has been officially selected for the Festival Gange Sur Seine in Paris, where it will have its global premiere next month.

Starring Partha Pratim Hazarika and Aimee Barua, the film tells the story of Prayash Saikia, affectionately called Guruji, a young teacher who uses unconventional methods to engage children at Kinkinia Primary School and revive education within the community. The narrative is interwoven with the mythological tale of Kansa Badh from Assam’s 500-year-old Bhaona theatre tradition, drawing a parallel between Guruji’s challenges and the timeless theme of good triumphing over adversity.

Director Arunjit Borah described the film as a tribute to the power of education and innovative teaching. “Goodbye Guruji is a heartfelt exploration of how perseverance, innovation and empathy can break barriers in education. It is a salute to those who dare to think differently and inspire us toward a better future,” he said.

Festival president Chayan Sarkar praised Borah’s approach, noting that his earlier short film Zibah had been well received in Paris. “Arunjit Borah is a powerful filmmaker who experiments with serious subjects in simple backdrops. Goodbye Guruji is both profound and subtle, capturing the strength of a village teacher who transforms his community. The use of rural Assam as a canvas, blended with the folk theatre of Bhaona, creates a mystic and cinematic experience,” Sarkar said.

Set for release next year, the film also features Rupjyoti Mahanta, Rupkumar Borah, Naba Mahanta and Anyun Kashyap. It is produced by the National Film Development Corporation of India Limited (NFDC) in association with Cinecraft Productions, with support from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The story is by Sanjeev Tiwari, with a screenplay by Arunjit Borah and Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap, who is also the associate director. The visual aesthetic is crafted by director of photography Asutosh Kashyap, art director Arup Dutta, make-up designer Panku Hazarika and DI colourist Hadwit Baglari. The film’s music is composed by Tarali Sarma, sound design and RR mixing are by Debajit Gayan, and editing is handled by Rantu Chetia. The production team includes Chinmay Dutta as chief assistant director, Prithul Kumar as producer and Vivek Agarwal of Cinecraft Productions as co-producer.