Sequel to 50-year-old Assamese classic Dr Bezbaruah is on the cards

A sequel being made a few decades after the original film is rare but not unknown, the latest example being Sadak 2 (2020), Mahesh Bhatt’s widely panned follow-up to Sadak (1991).

But Assamese cinema is set to see the second part of a cherished film that was released half a century ago, director Brajen Barua’s Dr Bezbaruah (1970).

Among those shouldering the responsibility of this onerous task is Rajdweep, third runner-up at the first Cinestaan India's Storytellers Contest. He has written the story, screenplay and dialogues for Dr Bezbaruah 2.

The film will star Adil Hussain playing the eponymous doctor. Nipon Goswami had essayed the character in the original film. Interestingly, he will be directing Dr Bezbaruah 2 and will play another character in the film. His son Siddhartha Nipon Goswami is also among the cast.

The film was announced earlier this year on Nipon Goswami’s birthday. 

Speaking about the project, Rajdweep told Cinestaan.com, “Dr Bezbaruah is in the same league in Assamese cinema as Sholay (1975) is in Hindi. The film was released 20 years before I was born, but I know a lot about it. Everybody knows about this film here. It has a legacy.

"It was screened last year at the Indian Panorama section [at the International Film Festival of India] in Goa. It is seen even after 50 years. This shows how big the film is.”

The idea of making the sequel emerged during the COVID-19 lockdown, which came as a financial blow to the Assamese film industry, like all the others.

"We were wondering what we could do to draw audiences back to the theatres [when they reopen]," Rajdweep explained. "'Bollywood' [commercial Hindi cinema] has Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. If their new films are released, audiences will come. But we don’t have such big stars.

"We later realized that Dr Bezbaruah itself is a star. So we thought of making its sequel.”

The playwright and scriptwriter is aware that making a sequel of a classic is no mean task. “It is such a big film that making its sequel is challenging," he admitted. "People are emotionally connected with this film. So there is this risk factor of something going wrong. Hence, it took a long time for me to create the story. For two months I was working only on the storyline. I finished the screenplay in the lockdown.”

According to Rajdweep, Dr Bezbaruah was the first, and best, thriller in Assamese film history. “It’s the only quality thriller from this industry," he said. "No other thriller has been up to the mark.”

Audiences found the story to be fresh back when it was released, the writer said. The sequel will tell a different story but on the same lines and with a few connections to the original.

“Our story takes place in 2020," Rajdweep said. "But there are some aspects and characters that are connected to the first film. The songs of the old film were hits. We will use a couple of tracks from there. We will also provide a feel of the old film through the background music.”

Musician Zubeen Garg, best known for his ‘Ya Ali’ song, has composed the music for the sequel and will also play a cop in the film.

Rajdweep said Adil Hussain is currently busy shooting for Bell Bottom (2021) with Akshay Kumar in the United Kingdom and Dr Bezbaruah 2 will go on the floor after he returns. “We will start shooting in October," he said. "It feels good that such good work is happening in Assam of which I am a part.”

Rajdweep’s story Ishqlogy had won him fourth place at the first Cinestaan India's Storytellers Contest. He is happy that a film based on this script will also be going on the floor soon.

“The pre-production is on," he revealed. "It’s a mainstream 'Bollywood' movie. They are looking for a big star to act in it. The casting should be done by November. They might announce it in December or January.”