Lights, camera, awards... ignored

While the media went into overdrive about Chulbul Pandey's victory at the National Awards this year, Songs of Mashangva, one of the many poignant but little-known films to have emerged out of the turmoil in Manipur, went unnoticed

Even as television channels beamed images of a grinning Arbaaz Khan, producer of this year's National Award- winning film for wholesome entertainment, Dabangg, a community of largely-ignored filmmakers in a little corner in North East India whooped in quiet, unwitnessed joy, when they heard that three of their own had won awards too.u00a0

Oinam Doren: Director of Songs of Mashangva, in Mumbai to shoot his
next film, The Resort. Pic/Santosh Nagwekar

Manipuri director Oinam Doren's documentary, Songs of Mashangva took home the Rajat Kamal National Award for Best Ethnographic film in the non-feature film category. It traces the growth of Naga Folk Blues from the traditional music of the Tangkhul Naga tribe in Manipur, largely overshadowed by the overpowering Christian missionary presence in the region.

Bachaspatimayum Sunzu's Heart to Heart was voted Best Science and Technology film. This is his fourth National Award. Ronel Haobam's film Zeliangrongs won a special mention.

So, why haven't you heard about any of them? Doren believes the answer isn't an easy they-don't-give-a-damn one. "What is covered by the media in Mumbai or Delhi is read all over. What's written about in the North East, remains there. It's a closed circuit. And unless someone wins an award of national importance, people don't get noticed."

That's only to be expected, considering Hindi cinema and entertainment was banned in Manipur by the insurgents in 2000. The socio-political conflict throws up a shortage of screening venues, and little opportunity to promote projects. This, in a region known for its strong storytelling tradition.

Bereft of options, creativity is hard to come by. "Lots of commercial films are made in Manipur, but they remain here because they have no identity, and are inspired by Bollywood-style song and dance routines," Doren explains.

Sunzu agrees. "Mainstream Manipuri films are not noticed because of their poor quality. Earlier, films had solid scripts. But the new lot of filmmakers are trying to ape Bollywood. Unless your films have a good story and identity, people out of your immediate surroundings will not want to see it."

For the few who want to break out of this mould, documentaries are the way to go. "The only way by which people across India can be told about this part of their country is through documentaries. They bridge the gap as far as media coverage goes," says Sunzu.

Doren is grim. "If we make political films that speak against the insurgents, they will come and shoot us. So we make films on art and culture and traditions," he says, matter-of-factly.

Despite the odds stacked against them, the National Awards are rolling in. "But the country needs to wake up," says Doren, adding, "Non-fiction films are generally not popular in the country. People need to wake up and recognise the importance of what we do and promote it."

Sunzu says the violence in the region provides fodder for hard-hitting stories. "Conflict and turmoil is the best time for creative output. Filmmakers here make socio-political films that actually touch a chord."

As an explanation, he offers, "Manipuri films had never won the Swarn Kamal at the National Awards, but AFSPA 1958 (a film I produced) won that award in 2008, because of the seriousness with which the film showed the fury of people against the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act," he says.

But all is not lost. Sunzu and Doren both agree that there is a slow change for the better. Today, two states in the North East are making films on a larger scale ufffd Assam and Manipur.u00a0 "The trend of making bad feature films is reversing. Instead of following Bollywood's footsteps, people are concentrating on good content," says Sunzu.

Recently, the Manipur Film Development Corporation set up editing and sound studios in Imphal to offer servicesu00a0 at nominal charges. Last year, the 7th Manipur State Film Festival saw nationally renowned critics called on as jurors.

Maybe things are getting better.

Heart to Heart (Manipuri & English)
Director: Bachaspatimayum Sanju.
It was chosen as best film in the Science and Technology category,winning the Rajat Kamal plaque and Rs 50,000. The film is based on a real life story of a child born with holes in his heart.