The recently released Bollywood movie directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan, under the production companies: Maddock Films & Jio Studios - Bhedia is the talk of the town in Arunachal Pradesh. The film stars several talented ensemble casts: Varun Dhawan; Kriti Sanon; Abhishek Banerjee; Deepak Dobriyal, and our very own rising stars from Arunachal Pradesh, Paalin Kabak and K4 Kekho.

 But what exactly is the X factor that has got people from Arunachal Pradesh and other parts of Northeast India all excited to watch the movie? Before we go into the details, let’s get a quick recall on the past outlook towards Arunachal Pradesh and take it from there.

Insight (into the past of Arunachal) -

Up until a few years ago, the land of dawn lit mountains along with rest of the northeastern states remained largely overlooked by the rest of India as a potential hotspot for economic activities. It was also a common occurrence for Northeastern people to face discrimination owing to their mongoloid features and unique cultural values. Due to lack of awareness about the region’s diverse facades among the mainlanders (Indians outside NE), many Northeastern folks were also mistaken for either Chinese or Nepalese in other parts of India; thereby hurting their sentiments. A lot of the ignorance came from the non-inclusion of historic, geographic, and cultural documentation of Northeast India, starting from elementary education in schools outside the region. In other words, very little of Northeast India made it to the text books taught to students in mainland India.

 However, things have changed for the better in the Northeastern region of India in recent years. It’s important to note that Arunachal Pradesh has gained significant focus from the centre ever since Narendra Modi took charge as the Prime Minister of India and Pema Khandu ascended to lead the state of Arunachal as its Chief Minister. From thereon, the state has garnered tremendous exposure and recognition with regards to tourism, flora & fauna, infrastructural development, agriculture, horticulture and textile sectors, to name a few. As a result, a major chunk of investments are being channelled to the state by several public as well as  private stakeholders to tap into its rich, unexplored resources.

Hindsight (to plot of the movie) -

With the state gaining spotlight lately for its unique cultural and natural diversity, several movie projects are being set up in the scenic backdrop of Arunachal Pradesh. This brings us to the main plot of the movie Bhediya, which is mostly set in the picturesque Ziro Valley in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, and the remaining scenes have been shot in multiple mesmerising locations, which showcase the ethereal natural beauty of the state. The film also features the traditional and simple living of the Apatani tribe, and their culture, along with subtle use of Arunachalee Hindi such as - 'pett' (as in 'nonsense'), 'pokor' (meaning 'butt/arse') etc. And the inclusion of the infamous local verse 'Jile le Jile le, Ayo Ayo Jile le'.

The storyline depicts the mythological beliefs of tribals, that 'Yapom' (forest nymph that can shape-shift (normally in the form of a beautiful woman) will threaten anyone who harms nature or disrupts the balance/law of the jungle, voluntarily or involuntarily. The tribals here worship nature, they worship both good deities for peace and prosperity and the evil spirits to prevent themselves from harm and distress.

 Therefore, the hype surrounding the movie among the people of Northeast India (mostly in Arunachal Pradesh) stems from the above mentioned storyline throwing light into the ancient beliefs of the land, its cultural values & heritage, and the use of scenic landscape of Arunachal for narrating the movie.

 A fun fact of the movie, Bhediya is that the it features local actors and known figures from the region, which resonates with the authentic and feel-home vibe.

Foresight (on to the impact it creates) - 

All in all, the movie was quite a good and ‘howlarious’ watch on a big 3D screen. The scenic backdrops, melodious songs, star-striking casts, and the 'Stree' crossover end credits were just a chef's kiss. The movie Bhediya explores the obvious importance of nature and calls attention to the dire time to conserve our forests, as aptly implied 'Prakriti hai to Pragati hain,' meaning, if there is nature, there is progress, and in short - Sustainable Development.

 A lot of Arunachal Pradesh, amongst the other Northeastern states, is still untapped and unexplored. If more projects such as Bhediya are considered to further explore the culture, customs and heritage of the tribals, they would be able to discover a sea of indigenous and ‘never heard before’ content and storylines for creating movies that Bollywood lacks these days. Further more, attention toward the tribal society may create the ability for preserving and protecting the indigenous environment, culture, and heritage as well as give the tribal community open opportunities in the entertainment and showbiz industry.