Barpeta cane artisans made the armour seen in Ranbir Kapoor's 'Ramayana'

Cane craft from a village in Assam's Barpeta district has made it to the big screen in Nitesh Tiwari's mythological epic 'Ramayana', which was released on November 5 with Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.

Master artisan Jaynal Abdin of Jania Banglipara village told news agency ANI that he led a 15-member local team that handcrafted 30 to 35 pieces of cane-and-rubber armour used in the film over roughly three and a half years.

How the order came

Abdin said the project did not reach him directly from the production house. It first came to Abdul Malek of Gram Unnayan, a local organisation in Jania, who showed him drawings and designs. After Abdin agreed it could be done, five or six members of the film's team visited the village, and one of them stayed on to supervise measurements and corrections.

From cane to a cane-rubber mix

The first prototype needed changes around the neck and shoulders. When the lead actor tried it on, pure cane proved too stiff and tight to move in comfortably. The production team then sent black and green rubber, but weaving rubber alone did not work. Abdin said he suggested to the costume designer a half-cane, half-rubber weave, and that hybrid design was approved after a sample.

Rushed to the airport

The work came in bursts. Abdin said there would sometimes be no word for three to six months, followed by an urgent call for eight or ten pieces before shooting resumed. Finished jackets were taken straight from Barpeta to Guwahati airport and handed to a contact for Mumbai, with confirmation of receipt coming within a few hours.

Kept in the dark

The artisans were not told which film they were working on, only that it was for a shoot and that the work would bring them recognition later. They learned it was 'Ramayana' only after the release. Abdin said he had not yet seen the film but would, because a part of his own handiwork is in it.

He said the recognition belonged to his team, his village and the whole of Barpeta district.

Cane and bamboo work is one of Assam's best-known traditional crafts, and the Barpeta-Bajali belt is home to many artisan families.