Reasons to smile

Assamese films winning national awards would turn into mere ‘personal feat’ if the same fail to get acceptance of the movie goers in general, whose presence in cinemas in declining numbers has hit the regional film industry, which therefore demands better involvement of the State Government. This was what filmmakers like Manju Bora (Aai Kot Nai), Altaf Mazid (Boliya Pitaier Sohoki Sootal) and N Maniram (Mon Jai) – winners of the 56th National Film Awards for 2008 from Assam in various categories – had to say a day after the country’s most prestigious film awards were announced.  
 
Manju Bora, presently in Arunachal Pradesh, while justifying her statement  said, “Obviously, it feels nice when a movie from Assam gets recognition in the National Film Awards but the very next moment one gets disgruntled to recall that the same flick could not weather a single show in a cinema situated in the heart of the city.” Bora was recalling her personal experience.  
 
Bora vouched for a greater role from the Government and the producer fraternity besides urging the contemporary filmmakers to come up with quality projects to woo audiences.  
 
“A movie, be it the so-called art film or an out-and-out commercial one, needs a market to survive. Going by the existing scenario, it is high time that the Government facilitates the regional industry with better avenues so that the industry is bailed out of the lean patch it is going through,” noted Director Abdul Mazid stated.  
 
“Nevertheless, I am happy that the award came my way and it has brought a huge burden of responsibility along with it,” said the noted filmmaker, who also won an individual award in the National Film Awards. 
 
Echoing similar sentiments, M Maniram, the director of Mon Jai said, “ I feel that the award would inspire me to do better work but my reaction would have been more vibrant had Mon Jai made the cut competing with more than 20 other films in the fray.” 
 
Maniram, who is now working on his next release ‘You Are Not My Julie’, also stated that the film producers of the industry need to be encouraged, something which the National Award Film do. 

Meanwhile Manipur’s filmmakers are ecstatic about the quadruple win in the 56th National Film Awards for 2008, which was announced on Saturday. 
 
International award winning film ‘AFSPA 1958’ was adjudged the best non-feature film in the 56th National Film Awards for 2008 while another film Shingnaba (Challenge) won the best adventure/sport film award. Manipur’s noted film critic RK Bidur bagged the best critic award while a young mass communication teacher Elangbam Natasha won best narration award in another Manipuri film Sanakeithel (Royal Market). 
 
“Manipur da Sanagee Thambal Saatle (Golden lotus blooms in Manipur)”, renown filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma conveyed this to Haobam Paban Kumar, the director of AFSPA 1958 after the announcement of the national awards. 
  
 
“I cannot believe it. At last we’ve won a Swarna Kamal or Golden Lotus”, Paban Kumar said. “It’s a dream of every filmmaker to win a National Award. It has come true in my life”. 
 
However, this young director is still unhappy over the central government’s attitude towards the real issue of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA 1958) which is in force in Manipur as his film is a courageous depiction of the non-violent resistance of the people of Manipur to protest against a legislation, which undermines the value of self-respect of the fundamentals of democracy. 
 
Bachaspatimayum Sunzu, the man behind Effective Television, the production banner of all the award winning films such as AFSPA 1958, Shingnaba and Sanakeithel, said ,“I think winning such commendable awards is a big achievement in history of Manipuri cinema”. 
 
Shingnaba is an inspiring tale of an HIV positive person who dramatically transforms his life and becomes a champion body builder while Elangbam Natasha’s gentle and intimate voice which leads you to a great treasure of insights on markets run by women in Manipur, made Sanakeithel win the best narration award.  
 
The President of India will present the awards consisting gold medals and cash prizes in March 2010. Mention may be made here that 10 films from Manipur will also be screened in the forthcoming 11th MIFF 2010 .

Tripuras tribal Kokborok language film , ‘Yrwng(Roots)’ also won a National award for Best feature film in languages other than those specified in Schedule 8 of the Constitution. The 95 minute film takes a poignant look at the displacement of thousands of Indigenous people  in Tripura because of the Gumti Hydel project. The film which was released in September ‘2008 has been screened in over 40 International Film Festivals across the world.

  “ It is a proud day for Kokborok language , its speakers and the people of Tripura as a whole. It is the first time that Tripura has won the Natioanal Film award.”,said the director of the film , Joseph Pulinthanath. Majority cast of the film  are the Indigenous people who were victims of displacement , having no prior experience of acting.

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