Evolving digital film culture in Manipur: A misnomer

Meghachandra Kongbam
In the serial number 20 of the 24 recommendations of the Government India, it is clearly stated that, “No existing theatres should be permitted to switch over to video exhibition”. This practice of screening video films in the theatres, which is not done anywhere in the country, is publicised as digital film culture in Manipur. This is misnomer. Neither the theatres were equipped with digital technology nor the films shown in the theatre were certified by CBFC as Digital.
The legacy of Manipuri Cinema had its struggling past with commitment to the modern era of challenges and development. When the Indian Cinema was six decades old, the Manipuri cinema was born with Debkumar Bose’s Matamgi Manipur on the 9th April 1972. To make the film, the equipments and technicians were engaged from Calcutta, Even the film director Debkumar too. But, the collective efforts of those Manipuris involved in the film who were eminent in their fields of literature, theatre and music made the very first film, a grand success and the pride of Manipur. The first Manipuri film bagged the President’s Silver Medal in the 20th National Film Awards and thus received the national recognition just when it was born.
In a decade, Manipur cinema made the Nation’s pride and got international recognition when Aribam Syam Sharma’s Imagi Ningthem (My Son, My Precious) bagged the Grand Prix in the competition section of the Festival of Three Continents, Nantes in France in the year 1982.  Thus, Imagi Ningthem became the first and only Indian film to receive the top prize in the Nantes. The film travelled around the globe participating at many major festivals.
Aribam Syam Sharma’s another Film- Ishanou (The Chosen One) produced in 1990 was the official selection in UN Certain Regard of the Cannes Film Festival 1991, and participated in many major international festivals. Thus, it proved the potentiality of Manipuri cinema in the international arena.
In a span of 25 years of Manipuri cinema upto April 1997, Manipur produced only 28 feature films. Out of 28 feature films, nine films had won the national awards; this shows that every third film produced in Manipur had won a national award.
SN Chand, Aribam Syam Sharma, G. C. Tongbra, M. Nilamani Singh, L. Banka Sharma, M. A Singh, a FTII Graduate, G. Narayan Sharma, K. Ibohal Sharma, Thoudam Doren and Sanakhya Ebotombi were the torch bearers of Manipuri Cinema.
The second generation of Manipuri cinema started in 1990. During the period, Manipuri cinema had its own technicians and equipments for pre-production and only the processing part was done outside Manipur.  To be contd...