When someone mentions the word ‘village’, we imagine lush green fields, a fresh breeze, serene ambiance, and a slower pace of life. A place where people wake up to the sound of birds and roosters. A place filled with raw beauty and unusual cultures.
These quaint hamlets not only offer the much-deserved peace but also a whole lot of action. The otherwise quiet countryside areas are home to people who never forget to smile amidst all the hardships. They have mastered all the life-saving hacks. In the tranquil lanes, everyone has a story to tell, a lesson to teach, and wisdom to share.
It is the uniqueness of village life that inspired Sivasagar boy Jyotishman Chetia to write the script for the recent popular Assamese web series Bidurbhai. Chetia is the scriptwriter and associate director of the web series, which has gained immense popularity in a short time.
“Assam is home to several villages, many of which aren’t even on the map. In such small villages, you come across certain people with unique characteristics. I am a village boy at heart and soul. The real scenario of villages during the lockdown period and how lives were affected due to micro-finance companies are the reasons behind making Bidurbhai,” says Jyotishman, who hails from Nazira.
He adds, “We wanted to showcase the raw village lifestyle in our series. Several characters in Bidurbhai are inspired by the stories of real-life people. The people in these villages are quite interesting. They stay united and never forget to enjoy life no matter what. With Bidurbhai, our aim was to give the audience a power-packed package of comedy, entertainment, and drama. The story revolves around a chit-fund group run by a woman.”
Bidurbhai is presented by Rootstock Entertainments and directed by Suvrat Kakoti. So far, four episodes have been released on YouTube, making them an instant hit with viewers. Suvrat is also a co-scriptwriter of the series.
The cast includes Sumki Kachari, Pankaj Mahanta, Ujjal Rajkhowa, Nitu Khanikar, Bolin Bora, Trailukya Baruah, Snigdha Phukan, Ananda Baruah, Uddipana Bora, Sarmistha Das, and Kangkan Saikia.
Jyotishman shares that the idea for writing the script of Bidurbhai came to him during the Covid-19-induced restrictions imposed in Assam earlier this year.
“It was during June-July when I started writing the script for Bidurbhai. The Covid-19 restrictions had caused distress all around, and we were no exception. Hence, we decided to film this series as an escape to beat our stress. Besides, we also wanted to spread a little laughter amongst the audience,” Jyotishman mentions, adding, “The entire team of Bidurbhai is a group of real-life friends. Once everyone was on the same page, we started shooting in August.”
Jyotishman completed his schooling at Sankardev Vidya Niketan, Nazira, and then went on to graduate in Political Science from JB College, Jorhat. He also did a Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication & Journalism from Cotton University.
When asked about the warm response to Bidurbhai, he says, “It was quite unexpected…we expected the series to do well, but the overall response has been overwhelming. The actors did not charge any money to act in the series. The teamwork and all the struggles paid off. We are humbled.”
When asked how the team came up with the name Bidurbhai, he adds, “Actually…there is no definite story behind naming the series Bidurbhai. We were quite confused about what to name it. When I was writing the script, some of my friends, who also acted in the series, used to push me to start the shooting by saying, ‘Bidurbhai, tu start koribo lagisil‘ (We should start filming ‘Bidurbhai’). The word Bidurbhai was mentioned several times in all the dialogues, and that’s how we finalized the name.”
The trailer of Bidurbhai was launched on YouTube on October 31, and the first episode aired on November 5. Since then, the netizens have been praising the show.
To add to the good news, Jyotishman informs that Season 2 of Bidurbhai is coming soon.
“Season 2 was not part of the plan…we never thought Bidurbhai would receive such a huge response. We have finished shooting all six episodes of Season 1. We will start shooting for Season 2 soon, and it should be available for our viewers by February 2022,” says Jyotishman.
Well, the question that has been plaguing the audience is: Who is Bidurbhai? Many fan theories are sprouting online regarding the character. So, what can the audience expect? Jyotishman laughs and says, “Well, watch Season 2 to find out who Bidurbhai is.”
The article was first published on November 30, 2021.
