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[Full title: Filmography of Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia (3) Agnisnan (The Ordeal), (Colour), 1985, 157 mins]

Based on Antareep (a novel written by Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia)

PRODUCTION

Producer, Director, Screenplay and Dialogue: Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia,
Music: Tarun Goswami,
Cinematography: Kamal Nayak,
Editor: Nikunja Bhattacharya
Date of release: 27th December, 1985

CAST

Biju Phukon, Malaya Goswami, Arun Nath, Kashmiri Saikia Baruah, Sanjeeb Hazarika, Indra Bania, Anandamohan Bhagabati, Arun Guhathakurata, Nilu Chakravarty, Ashok Deka, Arati Baruah, Ivy Baruah, Ava Hazarika, Chetana Das, Zebin Ahmed, Ajanta Goswami, Sangeeta Saikia, Kabita Goswami.

AWARD

National Award for Best Screenplay and Rajat Kamal Award for Best Regional Film in Assamese, 1985

PLOT SUMMARY

Among all other films by Dr. Saikia, Agnisnan has been credited by critics as the most didactic. The story of Agnisnan, involving issues of female subordination and feminism, is based on the first part of his own novel Antareep. Set in the colonial and feudal era, the film is the tale of arrogant Mohikanta, a rice mill owner and his composed wife Menoka. A representative of the newly rich class that prefers to look down upon all, Mohikanta is seen riding a horse carriage, to make his superiority visible. The story heats up when Mohikanta, father of four, decides to marry again. An ardently disciplined and dutiful Menoka happens to be engaged with all the chores essential for the comfort of the family, including her in-laws. She even accepts the new bride Kiron and asks her to look after Mohikanta. However she warns Mohikanta not to knock at her door as she has decided not to sleep with him ever.

The story moves on when Kiron gets pregnant and Mohikanta wants Menoka near him. Menoka, unable to tolerate such humiliation, decides to stand in front of Mohikanta in a battle of self-respect. Madan, a village thief, is the person whom she trusts and calls for help. They meet on dark nights in the backyard of Menoka鈥檚 house. Meanwhile Kiron gives birth to a child. Menoka asks Madan not to meet her again and also says that she will bring a bride for him. Things take a turn when Menoka gets pregnant from Madan and this gets disclosed before Mohikanta. Shocked, disgraced and angry Mohikanta feared that if the society came to know about Menoka鈥檚 pregnancy outside her wedlock then this would be a big blow to his hard-earned honour. Not being able to interrogate Menoka at home, he asks her to accompany him to the rice mill on the pretext of explaining to her how to manage the mill. Menoka agrees, but she travels on a separate horse carriage. At the mill, Mohikanta furiously interrogates her. However, the dignified Menoka doesn鈥檛 fail to provide a rational answer to all his queries. She asks him that if a wife can tolerate a child in the family who belongs to her husband but is given birth by someone else, then why a husband can鈥檛 tolerate the vice versa kind of a situation. Instead of being a submissive wife, Menoka stands upright making her scores equal with Mohikanta in the battle of self-respect.