The security forces had temporarily banned the screening of Ramcho Ramrin, a 180-minute movie on Naga revolutionaries, almost three decades ago. The title of the 1994 film means “empty land” in the Tangkhul language.
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Directed by Wungchan Makang, Ramcho Ramrin was a departure from the romantic films that were churned out for almost two decades until the last of Ukhrul’s video halls shut down in 1998.
No armed forces personnel were around when Semmi Makang staged his play, Philachon Malhotra on April 21 as part of the 75th anniversary of the Zingtun Tangkhul Katamnao Long, a youth organisation, at Talui near Ukhrul. But few missed the connection between this 55-minute drama on the dilemma of a single mother and the 1994 film.
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Both the film and the play were based on a story by Vaorei Makang, who happens to be Mr. Semmi’s father. Both alluded to the “Naga political issue” relating to decades of conflict for self-rule across the Naga-inhabited areas, primarily in Manipur and the adjoining Nagaland. And the crew members of both, including the actors, were mostly from Ringui.
Many of the approximately 3,000 people in Ringui, a hilltop village about 60 km from Manipur’s capital Imphal and 37 km from district headquarters Ukhrul, have been into one or more aspects of filmmaking or theatre since the 1980s.
The theatrical bent of mind of its residents did not guarantee Ringui immunity from counter-insurgency operations across the Tangkhul-dominated landscape. One of the reasons was probably its proximity to Somdal, the birthplace of Thuingaleng Muivah, general secretary of the extremist NSCN (I-M) that has been on ceasefire mode since 1997.
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Philachon Malhotra gives a glimpse of the ordeal the villagers had to go through during those days.
“Philachon Chahongnao, the lead character is a widow troubled by the armed forces like all other villagers before the ceasefire. After the ceasefire, the army camp nearby has a new commander named Ajay Malhotra, who develops a relationship with Philachon,” Mr. Semmi said.
Trouble starts when Philachon’s son returns from boarding school, finds her pregnant and says she is no longer a Chahongnao but a Malhotra. The play ends with Philachon, after an unsuccessful attempt to kill self, sets out to a world of uncertainty — almost like the ceasefire, as critics have pointed out.
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Angel Ahum and Shaingam, who played Philachon and Ajay, are from Ringui, as are the other members of the cast and those behind the scenes.
Mr. Semmi, who teaches mathematics at the village high school, took to theatre after attending a workshop at Ringui in 2009, two years before his father’s play, Ashang Eina Aton, was staged at the Bharat Rang Mahotsav in Delhi.
One of his mentors is Wungkathing Makang, also a Ringui resident recognised by the Manipur State Film Development Society a couple of days ago as one of the pioneers of filmmaking in the State. He has directed about 20 films, including the popular Tipkhawon, Kongphei Chili and Manho — all love stories.
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He had gone off the beaten track by making documentaries on social issues such as Ngara Kachang (‘Tilling the Fields’), dealing with girls’ education.
“Lack of market and digital penetration led to a vacuum in filmmaking after the 1990s, but younger people are now experimenting with interesting themes — on film or on stage. We hope the film centre to be set up at Ringui materialises to promote creativity,” he told The Hindu.
The Manipur Government had sanctioned ₹63-crore for the film centre in 2019 but only ₹5-lakh has been released so far.