A girl from a village in Assam, wants a guitar. The film starts with her playing those dreams out on a thermocol guitar. Now we have this story in the foreground, and in the background there is the subtle showcase of their plight. The village is flooded every year, work is their “dharma” and hard work is all they have. These narratives blend together to form one endearing tale of will and hope.

This is the kind of film that pushes you into the world it is set in, and holds you with no external influence on the time you spend there. There is no music. It’s just sounds of the wind, rustle of trees, people and the animals. You just have to give it time, and you’ll see life in that place come alive all around in your head. And the fact that it spends a good couple of seasons in there, literally makes you familiar with the place and the nuances of it. The trees, the walkways, they are all still in my head, long after the screening. The colours feel alive, the actors are as spirited as they can get. The image of Dhunnu holding a guitar in her hand is all the payoff you need, and it proves how satisfying film can be, with simple honesty. Who’s looking for a conventional story structure when there’s so much heart? It is an extremely empowering film, even in it’s visibly small scale.