Sujit Debbarma, an independent filmmaker from Tripura, India, won the 69th National Film Award for Best Anthropological Film for his documentary, “Fire on Edge.” In a recent ceremony held in New Delhi, Sujit Debbarma, along with Pranab Jyoti Deka, the story’s writer, received the award from President Droupadi Murmu.
Sharing his feelings after being selected for the national award, Debbarma said, “Obviously I felt very happy. When I got the news I was in another shooting in another production. As soon as the director heard the news, he happily packed up the shooting and then that day we celebrated. This was my first national award in my life. Earlier, I made many short films and documentaries that received various awards in different categories – But this was my first achievement in the National Award”.
Debbarma studied at “Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute”, and completed a diploma in film and video editing from a private institute. After that, he worked as an assistant director in documentary films in Mumbai production. He did cinematography work in the production house of Zee Music Company in Mumbai.
The film was made in the Tiwa language with the entire cast drawn from the villages of Karbi Anglong, Assam. The shooting location was set against the backdrop of the West Karbi Anglong district. The film was also selected for the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival and the Indian Northeast Documentary Film Festival.
In a recent interview, Debbarma said that it took five years – from 2016 to 2021 – to complete the film, from pre-production to post-production. He is currently working to make “Fire on Edge” available on OTT platforms so that people can watch it.
Debbarma has also worked as a cinematographer on several other award-winning films, including “Water Burial,” which won the award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation at the 67th National Film Award; “The Consequence,” which won two awards for Best Cinematography at the Virgin Spring Cinefest and the Kashi Indian International Film Festival; and “Man and the Wild,” which was selected for the 17th Mumbai International Film Festival.
He has also directed and produced several other films, including “NO” (the home), which won the Best Film Award at the Chalachitram National Film Festival.
In the realm of short films, Debbarma’s “We Can Say” won an Excellence Certificate Award from the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), while “The Land of Mayong” received a Special Jury Award at “Awesome Assam” (Assam Tourism). “Life Without Gravity” achieved finalist status at “Lisbonfilm Rendezvous” in Portugal, and “The Window” was selected for the “SmartPhilm Festival” in Washington, D.C., United States.
Debbarma said that some of the films that have left a lasting impression on him include “Pather Panchali” by Satyajit Roy, “Shadows of Time” by Florian Gallenberger, and “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer” and “My Japanese Wife” by Aparna Sen
