Private Project

The Head Hunter

'The Head Hunter' brings to forth a pertinent question about the creation of a homogenous culture of existence and morality. It is about an old tribal man from a forgotten tribe of India, who dwells in a forest as ancient as him. Fierce and warrior like, rugged and wrinkled, he is the last of the North Eastern tribe of India called the `Head hunters’. Donning headgears made of bamboo and hairs of wild bears, and wrapped in nothing more than a loincloth around his waist, he is the lone caretaker of one of the wildest and most dangerous forests of India. When the government decides to build a road through the Old man’s forest, he resists and becomes a nuisance to the administration. Finally a city bred young official, who belongs to the same tribe as the Old man and also speaks his native language, befriends him and tricks him to spend a few days in the city. For the first time in his life the Old man encounters the concept of money, concrete buildings, crowds of people and complex living. When he finally comes back to his forest everything has changed. The ancient land of his ancestors, which he was so fiercely protecting all his life, had now become a thoroughfare for the city dwellers. The film is a story of human tragedy, of an identity loss and also the comic simplicity of an ancient man who is exposed to city life for the first time in his long years. It is also about the dilemma of a young official who is forced to betray his own past, in his quest for a secure future. It also tries to represent the degradation of forest for development and although its necessary, but can a more human approach be adapted and not gulp down nature and along with all sub cultures their ethos and loose them forever.

  • Nilanjan Datta
    Director
  • Nilanjan Datta
    Writer
  • Rupak Das
    Writer
  • Navnita Sen Datta
    Writer
  • Nilanjan Datta
    Producer
  • Dr. Rajiv Nag
    Producer
  • Dhiraj Singh
    Producer
  • Tejas Sah
    Producer
  • Marie Adler
    Producer
  • Nokshaa Saham
    Key Cast
  • Mrigendra Konwar
    Key Cast
  • Marie Adler
    World Sales Agent
    Adler & Associates Entertainment Inc
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 47 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 30, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Other
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:1.85
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 17th JIO MAMI MUMBAI INTERNATIONA FILM FESTIVAL
    Mumbai
    October 30, 2015
    World Premer
    INDIA GOLD Competition Section
  • 46th International Film Festival Of India
    Goa
    November 23, 2015
    Certificate Of Participation In Indian Panorama
  • 14th Pune International Film Festival
    Pune
    January 15, 2016
    Cinema of India Section
  • 5th Angkor Wat International Film Festival
    Cambodia
    March 26, 2016
    International
    Non competitive
  • 25th Aravindan Purushkaram (Award), Chalachitra Academy, Kerela
    Trivandrum
    March 15, 2016
    Award Ceremony
    Jury Special Mention For Best Debut Direction
  • Canada International Film Festival
    Vencouver
    April 8, 2016
    National Premier
    non competetive
  • World Festival of Emerging Cinema
    Trinidad & Tobago
    May 19, 2016
    National Premiere
    Non competetive festival
  • 63rd NATIONAL FILM AWARDS OF INDIA
    NEW DELHI
    BEST FILM IN WANCHO
  • Prag Cine Awards
    Tezpur
    India
    May 15, 2016
    Best Actor North east
  • Prag Cine Awards
    Tezpur
    India
    May 15, 2016
    Special Jury Mention Best director
  • Mexico International Film Festival
    Mexico
    Mexico
    Best Screenplay
  • Ischia Film festival
    ischia
    Italy
    June 28, 2016
Distribution Information
  • Adler & Associates INC
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Nilanjan Datta

DIRECTORS PROFILE

• A National Award Winner as Director in 55th National Film Awards, 2009
• Graduate of Film & Video Editing from FTII, Pune, 2004
• Presently working as Associate Professor of Film editing at Film and television institute of India, Pune.
• ‘The Head Hunter’ is Nilanjan’s first feature film. Before that he has made documentary films and short fiction film. Born in Assam and having lived a part of growing period in Arunachal Pradesh, Nilanjan advent to cinema is to tell stories from that region, a region that is still unheard of enshrouded with myths and mysteries.
Filmography:
• The TOPPERS’/21 min/English/2011
Praveen, Stephen and Venu are best of friends and the rank holders of the class. They look down on everyone else in the class as mediocre and accept one teacher ‘Akela’ whom they hate; all other teachers love them. Life of Praveen changes forever when their most hated teacher calls him.
• Creative Director of Royal Bengal Superstar: a Reality TV Show for star Jalsha/ Sai Baba telefilms Pvt.Ltd, 2009

• BhangaGara (to Break...to Create): /27min/ Bengali/2006 (Awarded National Award for Best Film on Environment)

A film on the plight of the people dwelling on the River Islands in the District of Maldah in West Bengal, India. Every Year these river islands which are situated in the middle of the ferocious river Ganga, get flooded and these people struggle to survive on their own without any state help. The film also shows another part of the same region, Picrapada, which is also very backward, but with the initiatives of the local tribal people living there, is now on the path of betterment. Pichrapada is plagued by water shortage while floods plague the river islands.

• Secular Architecture: 54min/Malayalam/English/2005 A documentary

film on the architectural pattern of Kerela, mainly of the temples, mosques and churches where all of them have a significant similarity in its wooden structure and design. Radio Mirchi: 6min / English/Hindi/2003 It is a short feature on the re advent of Radio because of FM in India.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Arunachal Pradesh in north eastern India is a land of 26 ethnic tribes and more than 100 sub tribes, shrouded by myths and mysteries, traditions and rituals. Its panoramic landscape of snow covered mountains, lush green forests and gurgling mountainous streams is as breathtaking as it is remote and elusive. Once disconnected from mainstream India, this solitary land is slowly losing its uniqueness and culture, as the consumerist mainstream is slowly and surly making its way into its land, in the garb of development.

`The Head hunter’ is an exploration of this encroachment. It is also an exploration of loss of identity, alienation, lopsided development and an encounter with one’s own past. It is a mythical reality, yet it mirrors the concerns that I had while growing up in Arunachal and seeing its people closely. People who took pride in their culture, their traditions and their uniqueness. Today I see bewildered youth everywhere, shying away from their past, in their quest of being accepted in the mainstream. There is large-scale deforestation and unplanned constructions everywhere and I fear that this beautiful land like many other regions of India, will soon be a victim of flawed developmental plans.