A 31-minute documentary produced in 2025, The Battle of Kamrup, directed by Padmapani Bora, has won the Best Documentary Award at the Bengal International Short Film Festival. The festival took place at the Nandan Cultural Complex in Kolkata, where the film was recognised for its storytelling and cinematic presentation.
Padmapani Bora, who is serving as Commissioner and Secretary of the Information and Public Relations Department of Assam and is also the Managing Director of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation, directed the film that revisits a little-told episode from regional history.
The documentary recounts the reported victory of Maharaja Prithu over the Turkic invader Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1206. According to the film’s historical accounts, Khilji-who is also associated with the destruction of the learning centres at Nalanda and Vikramshila-sought to push his campaign through the rugged terrain of the ancient Kamarupa kingdom (present-day Assam) as he aimed to extend his reach towards Tibet after consolidating control in Bengal.
The film portrays Maharaja Prithu, identified with the Khen dynasty, organising a strong local defence by mobilising tribal warriors from communities including the Bodo, Koch Rajbongshi and Keot. It shows Prithu adopting tactics akin to a scorched-earth policy, destroying supplies and resources to deprive the invading force.
As depicted in the documentary, Khilji’s army was trapped near a tributary of the Brahmaputra River, resulting in a heavy defeat; the invading force is said in the film to have numbered about 12,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry, of which only a few hundred escaped.
The award also underscores the growing visibility of filmmakers from Northeast India on the national short-film and documentary circuit. Organised annually by the Bengal Film and Television Chamber of Commerce, the festival continues to showcase regional stories and bring local histories to broader audiences.
Original Source: https://nenews.in/entertainment/the-battle-of-kamrup-bags-best-documentary-award-at-bengal-short-film-festival/46151/
Category: Assam,Entertainment,Bengal International Short Film Festival,Film ‘The Battle of Kamrup’
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Publish Date: 2026-03-28 16:33:00
