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Women
in Manipur Cinema
By: Yengkhom
Roma
It
was april 9 in 1972. The first ever Manipuri Feature film
MATAMGI MANIPUR, produced by Karam Monomohans was mouted for
premiere. And pack house tensed,in anticipation for the screen
to come alive,I was so nervous, for I did the lead role.
Birbabu
portrayed Ibotombi,my brother-in-law in the film. He was
one who spoke the opening dialouge in Manipuri. "What
was we have for lunch,Iteima ?" Dal and mashed potato."It's
ekadashi today",I replied.
The
audience thundered with laughter. I panicked.Parhaps something
was wrong withthe act, something terribly wrong. It was
never expected.The producer director as well as the artists
never thought that the opening dialouge would be greeted
like this. The same reaction persisted as long as the film
was running,I was told.
Maibam
Harichandra Singh, the founder member of Roop Raag, gave
the best comment.He said "To me,it didn't mattered
whether the film was good or bad .I was thrilled,simply
thrilled to hear the dialouge on the silver screen".
The
world cinema is one hundred year old and Manipur cinema
just thirty. Much can be said on the contribution of women
in Manipur cinema. One might not expect this article to
cover all the expects touching the multiple roles play by
women in the progress of Manipur cinema.
It
is not known fact that men used to play the female roles
when the cinema first started in India. Women are not ready
to act in film. This trend continued till some educated
women come forward to join in films. Kamala Chattopadhyay
was one such lady. She is said to have portryed the role
of "Visant Sena" on screen. But his dearth of
female artists never handicapped the manipur cinema as such.
The
comparatively new art form of cinema had the potential to
strike instant rapport with the masses. Creative talents
finds in cenema a really affective medium. Even Manipur
conceived the idea of making films way back in 1946. A group
of enthusiasts attempt to make a film based on popular play
MAINU PEMCHA, in hindi.Thambal devi,the darling Manipur
theatre, was the title role. Another highly talented artist
Ngangbi devi was the playback singer for the film.
The
challange taken up by these two brave female artists deserve
applause. This first venture unfortunetly didn't make it
to the silver screen.
A
big rush followed in the wake of MATAMGI MANIPUR.producer
director and artists with theatrical backgrounds strove
at making film. The late actor-director S.N Chand produced
BROJENDRAGI LUHONGBA,which is based on a story by Lamabam
Kamal, to become the first director of a feature film from
Manipur. But the filmmakers in Manipur had to work against
heavy odds. Want of proper technical cinema. Yet,a director
like Aribam Shyam Sharma and a writer like M.K Binodini
could surprise the world with their clearity of vision and
delineation of human based values blanded in the social
fabric of Manipur.
Manipur
joined in the race of filmmaking in India 75 years late.
Equipped with a sound theatrical, literary and artistic
background,and deep insight of the human nature,but with
little technical knowhow,our filmmakers storde ahead of
the rest of the country to earn the coveted GRAND PRIX are
at Nantes ( France) for the first time in India. The film
was IMAGI NINGTHEM, based on a radio play written by M.K
Binodini, which the writter improved upon and adopted for
screen play. It was does from the pen of Manipuri females
writter that a film was conceived and which world would
ever bestow to any institution. Aribam Shyam Sharma, with
support of K. Ibohal Sharma whose company was X-Cine produtions
produced the film, surprised film dom,the world over, with
IMAGI NINGTHEM.
Thirty
one Manipuri feature film have been made till date. Non
suffer for want of female artistes some theater-Groom female
artistes of yester year indelible stamp on the Manipuri
silver screen by their outstanding performences. Tondon
devi lent her singular charm to the success of OLANGTHAGI
WANGMADASU. Manbi Devi made significant contribution towards
the success of ISHANOU and SAPHABI. G. Ibeyaima Devi gave
a superb performence in YAIRIPOK THAMBALNU. L.Pishak Devi
did stunningly well in MAYOPHYGEE MACHA. And their are severals
other, too. A group of young female artistes cropped up
soon after. They were mostly cast in the main roles and
did remarkably well charater roles. Rashi, Rajani,Jamini,Indira,
Bedamani, Romola,Bhubaneswori,Uma, Subadani,Hemabati,Chandrashaki,
Memcha, Kiranmala,Debala, Sakhi,Kalpana, Sushila, Parbati,Sunanda,Ratnabala,Satyabala,Bimola,Babita,
Sabita, Nirmala, Narmada, Seema,Radhyapyari and Sujubala.
belong to this group. Almost of all them have theaterical
background. Films with these female artistes have won awards
galore in the National and International Fora. I had also
the good fortune to belong this genre.
It
is worth mentioning that in the National level, Anoubam
Kiranmala,the main actress in film ISHNOU, was honoured
with the 'Special Mention' in the film festival 1991. In
this context,the well known film crictic Phiroz Rangoonwala
observed, 'Anoubam Kiranmala,the superbly national actress
of the Manipuri film Ishanou,really deserved the Best Acting
Award '
Our
women are generally associated with cinema in the capacity
of artistes.Next comes palyback singers followed by screen-playwright
and lyrices. But we have not seen any women director and
technician as yet. Of the tally of thirty Manipuri Features
films,counting from Matamgi Manipur to Khamba Thoibi, ten
films had been written by women writters.
Another
interesting fact is that during the last fifteen years or
so, many female writers of Mnaipur are making outstanding
contribution in the feild of literature. Poems,short stories,
novels,plays, and of course,screenplays flow from their
pens. Yet others are involved in media.The same is true
of the tribal dialects. This trend is reflected in film
dom as well,I'm sure. they are contributing in film making,too.
Their role in the involution of our cultural history become
all the more remarkable.
Another
dimention of the Manipuri is the small screen. Want of the
adequate fund for the celluloid has not deterred the creative
art of film enthusiasts. They turned to the vedio as an
alternative.This is visible among the tribal too. Not less
than hundred and fifty vedio films has already been produced.
Some are must aclaimed. The Tangkhul actress Sweety has
a big name on the small screen. R.C Joycee is another much
applouded Tangkhul Actress. She stared in the film Mayophyegee
Macha.
Vedio
films actress of were veery lucky to Internationally stablished
resourse persons,Proffesor earnest Gsella and Tomoyo Sasaki
from New York had conducted a month long workshop on 'Hi
Tech vedio'. M.K Binodini had met the expert couple at New
York. They were visiting Jamia Milia Islamia for a four
months, workshop sponsered by the full prize foundation
in march of 1993. M.K Binidini had requested them to considered
a workshop in Manipur. The time frame was too tight. The
Dept. of Art & Culture immediately took the matter with
foundation and Foreign Dept.,Govt of India. The workshop
was ultimately held at the Manipur State Museum Auditorum.
Dr. K. Sobita,the curator of the meusum was all help.
Arnie
and Tomayo normally conduct workshop for twelve participants.
There were fifty seven participants in the workshop. It
was because they decided not to disappoint the youthfull
aspirants. The result was beyond expectation. Twenty appreciable
films were made by the participants during the span of one
month. In fact, a Woman writter Binapani immersed out of
the workshop as resourcefull film director.
It
may noted that the Manipur Film Development Cooperation
could organised workshop on differrent aspects so that Manipur
film workers might acquaint themselves with the latest trends
film makings.
Film
making in Manipur is preety hearth proposition.Want of the
adequate equipments forces one to go to laboratory outside
the state.The small size of market results in minimum returns
to the producers who cann't affort ample as poser raw materials
and the artistes have to be satisfied with limited exposer
of films. Our producers suffer from lack of capital resoureces
which compel them to limiting the scope of film produced.
It is amazing that inspite of the odds and inconveniences
the contribution of this small state in thw world cinema
is recognised Internationally. sadly, our own state seems
not to have given much serious thoughes of film making.
The state has not yet adopted a film policy to give incentives
and the much needed boost to the film makers.One might recall
the statement mad eby Pierre Barroux,Councellor for cultural,scientific
and technical co-operation,France Embassy,when he came to
participate of an International Filam Festival in Manipur
sometime back. he said the entire budget of Manipur Film
is not enough to meet the travel expenditure involve of
making of our films.You dn't have adequate lab facilities.We
have all these. And we do not have the potential of your
film,the force of subject that you have in ISHANOU. My wife
have witness nine times.And she still want to.Here we seek
your co-operation. We could help each other a lot.
One
often wounder why and how it is possible of all our woman
to earn laurel in International and National film arena,
inspite of their want of adequate traning. Our unique cultural
heritage surely the answer. Our women always take active
role in our folk rituals and religious festivities.These
social institutions probably grooms them into such sound
artistic personalities. It is the ethoes of our social institutions
that train the psyches of our women for their eventual success
in realm of cinema.
It
is my farm belief that Manipuri cinema will surmount all
these handicaps and shall attain still greater height.
Courtsy:
Manipur Film Development Corporation (M.F.D.C).
