The Bollywood film Ohh My Dog, written and directed by Amit Rai, released on August 7, 2026, and carries a significant Assam connection through one of its two parallel stories. The film follows two separate adventures unfolding on the same day, one in Dibrugarh, Assam, and the other in Patna, Bihar.
In Assam, a sharp-witted schoolboy named Apu sets out to find his missing pet dog Momo, taking audiences through the streets and landscapes of Dibrugarh and its surrounding areas.
The film’s Assam portions were shot extensively in and around Dibrugarh, giving the story a distinct regional flavour. It also brings elements of Assam’s cultural heritage to the Bollywood screen, including Gayan-Bayan, an important component of the state’s centuries-old Vaishnavite cultural tradition.
The Assam storyline further features several artists from the region, making the project an interesting bridge between Assamese talent and mainstream Hindi cinema.
Acclaimed Assamese actor and National Award-winning producer Sulakhyana Baruah makes her Bollywood debut with the film, portraying a teacher who assists Apu during his search. Ashim Kumar Sharma, known for his work in regional theatre and podcasting, appears in a prominent role, while Dibrugarh-based Bhaskar Papukon Gogoi makes his major Bollywood feature debut.
The film’s second narrative unfolds in Patna, where a street-smart stray dog becomes central to the search for his kidnapped human companion, a young construction worker. Thus, the two stories, although geographically and narratively independent, are connected by the relationship between humans and dogs and by the instinct to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Ohh My Dog raises a simple but significant question: why should stray dogs be treated as unwanted merely because they live on our streets and in our neighbourhoods? Through its two canine-centred adventures, the film argues for compassion and peaceful coexistence with animals while presenting its message through an accessible adventure format.
The Assam connection also extended beyond filmmaking. Ahead of the release, the production team collaborated with the Eastern Assam Chamber of Commerce and Industry to organise a clothing donation drive for women affected by floods in the region, linking the film’s presence in Assam with a community-oriented initiative.
However, the film’s execution has attracted criticism for its lack of narrative economy. Instead of allowing the two storylines to complement each other, the frequent intercutting between Assam and Bihar can sometimes interrupt the momentum of both.
Scenes are repeatedly extended through additional reactions, prolonged chases and unnecessary repetitions, making the film feel like two independent films running simultaneously rather than two narratives organically informing each other.
The structure occasionally weakens potentially powerful moments as well. A dramatic sequence involving the dog Oscar’s howl, intended to summon his companions, is divided by an abrupt return to Apu’s storyline. When the film eventually returns to Oscar, the interruption has already diluted the emotional and dramatic impact of the scene.
Despite these shortcomings, Ohh My Dog remains noteworthy for the visibility it provides to Assam. Its use of Dibrugarh as a major narrative setting, representation of Assamese cultural traditions and participation of regional artists make it an interesting development for the state’s cinematic presence in mainstream Hindi cinema.
More importantly, the film places the bond between humans and animals at the centre of an entertaining adventure while quietly asking audiences to reconsider the place of stray animals within our urban communities.