The face of Assam: Papon represents his home state at the Cannes Film Festival

Mumbai : Known to don multiple hats, such as that of a singer, songwriter, music composer and music producer, Papon was among the luminaries from India to have graced the prestigious Cannes Film Festival as the cultural ambassador of Assam. The artist also attended the event in the capacity of a producer of two upcoming films – titled ‘The Land of the Sacred Beats’ and ‘The Mystical Brahmaputra – A Musical Story. The teasers of Papon’s productions were screened at the India Pavilion at the Marché du Film to celebrate cinema rooted in Assam. Papon was also a panelist for a discussion titled ‘The Gateway to the Northeast’.

It touched upon the film policy, scenic locales, cultural heritage and hospitality of Papon’s home state. The artist was joined by Mr Simanta Sekhar Chairperson, Assam State Film Finance & Development Corporation Ms Loya Madhuri IAS, Secretary Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam, Ms Monidipa Borkotoki, Managing Director, Assam State Film Finance & Development Corporation and Mr Biswajeet Bora – Film Director (Boomba Ride). As a producer, Papon has been diligently working on TheThe Land of the Sacred Beats and The Mystical Brahmaputra – A Musical Story for four years.

The former is premised on the 550 years old traditional classical music of Assam, by Vaishnava Saint Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev and the latter is a tribute to the Brahmaputra and the multicultural co-existence of the music, art and culture of the tribes and communities who have settled at the bank of the river. Directed by Parasher Baruah, these upcoming films capture the diversity of music, art, craft, livelihood and stories of Assam.

Papon says, “I am truly honoured to have represented my country and my home state Assam at Cannes 2022. It felt like a celebration of a culture that has made such a significant contribution to art. Witnessing great films and exchanging energy with artists worldwide are the highlights for me. I’m happy that the teasers of The Land of the Sacred Beats and The Mystical Brahmaputra – A Musical Story received love on a global platform. I share this honour with the people of India.”