Guwahati Newsdesk: Chaou James Handique, a line producer from Assam, has 17 years of expertise and is known for his outstanding work in the production sector. Mr. Handique began his career in 2005 as an event organizer at ITA Guwahati before moving on to work in Bollywood films, Air Malaysia, and Al Jazeera. He has worked as a producer on popular television shows such as Roadies, Splitsvilla, Masterchef, and Junior Masterchef. Handique has worked in the entertainment industry not just in India, but also in the United States, China, and Israel. He was also a member of the team that launched “Colors Kannada.” There isn’t a single corner in India where James hasn’t done something.
James talked about his expertise as a line producer in an interview with Hello Guwahati. It was not an easy journey from Guwahati to Mumbai. Gradually, he went into a larger world of production. “You have to struggle to rise up”, he said. James is a person who seeks for adventures rather than fiction, and this is reflected in the work he does. He even worked as a freelancer at one point. “Whatever position I am in now, I try to keep it very low and simple, so that everybody is comfortable working around me. In our company everyone works as a team. There is no junior or senior,’ these are the terms that James has learned over his career.
When questioned about his experience working on the recently released film “Anek,” he said it was one of the best projects he has ever worked on. A lively set is made up of a terrific team and stunning shooting settings. The majority of the filming took place in Meghalaya and Assam’s Karbi Anglong area. The locals were quite supportive of the shoot, even offering the team native food while they were on location. “It’s not simple to be a line producer, but it’s a lot of fun. It’s difficult to deal with when someone contacts you for every little item they need when you’re busy dealing with other issues, but we try to keep things positive.” He also stated that Andrea, the lead actress, did a fantastic job in the film despite being a rookie to the field. The project was contacted in 2019, however due to the Pandemic, they were unable to begin filming at that time.
James Handique, a producer from the North East, is attempting to uncover the region’s outstanding secret locations for film and video shoots. “Why should we travel outside of the North East or India when there are so many excellent locations to shoot in?” I’m attempting to bring Mumbai to the North East so that they may better explore it; the North East has so much more to offer than what people have heard about it.” Connectivity issues and a shortage of lodging options are two of the most pressing issues in the region right now. Through the interview he wants to request the government to look into this matter. “Young talents from the North East are venturing outside of the region to Mumbai in search of exposure and reward that they aren’t getting at home. I’d like to bring them back from Mumbai and establish a base there so that NE may get the attention it deserves.”
Handique also discussed some of the upcoming projects on which he is currently working. Manikarnika is one of them, with Meghna Gulzar is the other one. There will be more online series in the future. There will be ad films and music videos released before that.
Anek is a political action thriller, in which a fierce undercover agent Joshua is on a mission to unite India. The film follows Joshua’s journey in a conflict-ridden region of Northeast India. Anek examines what it means to be an INDIAN and what it takes to rise above the divides.
Aido, is a tough boxer who aspires to earn a gold medal for India. Aido continues to seek for a berth on the national team despite discrimination at every turn, hoping to be accepted as an Indian by making the country proud.
