Negotiating Assamese identity: Vernacular humour and the village in contemporary Assamese screen culture – A case study of Bidurbhai

This article examines recent shifts in Assamese popular cinema through a close analysis of Bidurbhai . Initially released as a web series on YouTube, it went on to become one of the highest-grossing movies in Assam when its sequel was adapted into a feature and released theatrically. Emerging from the long-standing marginality and infrastructural constraints of Assamese cinema, Bidurbhai marks a significant reconfiguration of how vernacular culture, humour and the village are mobilized for mainstream visibility. Drawing on Lauren Berlant’s theorization of the intimate public, the article argues that Bidurbhai operates within a platform-based culture of circulation that addresses the shared desires of a vernacular audience. It traces how the franchise reworks the village – an enduring trope in Assamese cultural production. Through close analysis of narrative structure, spatial organization, editing rhythms and tone, the study shows how humour functions as an organizing affect rather than a secondary comic device.