The Story Behind Assam's Latest Viral Sensation, 'Goru'

By: Rana Pratap Saikia

A strange phenomenon has gripped the state of Assam in the past one week. Many youths have been sharing the poster of 'Goru' (cow), an upcoming film from Assam, slated for a January 24 release. The simplistic poster of the film simply bears the image of a cow and the name of the Director, along with the date of release.

The 'Goru' phenomenon seems to have well and truly gripped the youths of Assam after a social media stunt in which the makers of the movie sent out an ad on October 19 proclaiming that a cow had been lost. In the ensuing days, much confusion prevailed and only after a while did the citizenry come to realize that it was actually a social media stunt meant to promote the film.

Talking to Inside Northeast, Writer-Director Himangshu Prasad Das says that the popularity of their social media campaign caught them completely by surprise. "It slowly started gaining traction on local media. This publicity stunt has proved especially popular among the youths",an elated Das said.

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"Since we have a limited budget and lack starpower, we are using the means of social media to pull in more crowds, as it is free of cost, as well as effective in the digital age. We lack the financial means of big productions like Zubeen's Kanchanjangha and Jatin Bora's Ratnakar, so we have to be on our toes and be creative", he affirms.

Revealing the reason behind the peculiar title, Das told us that the central character is a cow! "In the Assamese language, the word 'goru' is also used as a pejorative, thus the significance behind the title", he said.

The film is based on a novel by an Assam writer called Shah Jahan, but some modifications have been made for the film version, Das said.

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Danish, lyricist of the film, had the following to say, "this is a unique promotion, that a cow has been lost. It is a comedy with a touch of satire, and it has a high concept. It will truly touch hearts".

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