Soma Laishram, 31, is one of the most bankable actors in the Manipuri film industry. Yet, her popularity through more than 150 films, many of which have fetched her awards, did not stop a civil society organisation, the Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL), from “banning” her from acting in films and attending social functions for three years.
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Ms. Laishram’s “fault” was that she participated in a fashion parade in New Delhi on September 16. In a statement, the KKL said that Ms. Laishram had defied a general request to celebrities in Manipur not to participate in entertainment events as long as the State burns. It said that the actor “showed disrespect to the Meiteis who have died” and to thousands of others who have been rendered homeless by the ethnic violence, which has claimed more than 175 lives since May 3.
Ms. Laishram defended her decision to participate in the festival saying it was “not for fun” and that it gave her an “opportunity as a professional actor and social influencer to speak up about the crisis in Manipur” on a platform offered by a non-profit organisation in India’s political hub.
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Manipur is no stranger to threats and bans by social and extremist groups. Militants, especially those from the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley, banned the screening of Hindi movies in the State’s cinema halls in 2000. While they gave no reason, it is believed that the ban was put in place to “protect” Manipur’s culture and identity. It was because of this ban that a film on Mary Kom starring Priyanka Chopra was not shown in the State when it was released in 2014. It was for the same reason that actor Bala Hijam was forced to stop shooting for a Hindi movie, Zindagi On the Rocks, midway, after a warning from an underground group. This virtually put paid to her pan-India dreams, a year after she had starred opposite Dulquer Salmaan in the Malayalam hit, Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi. Film historian Meghachandra Kongbam says in his book Manipuri Cinema that the State government’s annual earnings from cinema halls dropped drastically from ₹1 crore in the mid-1990s as a result of this ban. But the local film industry, which began thriving in the digital format, has largely remained untouched.
Unlike the earlier instances, the film fraternity and the general public has strongly backed Ms. Laishram this time. Many people have taken to media platforms to pan the KKL for the “puerile” ban. On September 19, the Manipur Human Rights Commission accepted a complaint by Ngamkheingakpi, a Shillong-based Meitei, against the KKL for violating the rights of an actor. The chairman of the Film Federation Manipur, Laimayum Surjakanta Sharma, said that the body stands by Ms. Laishram and would ask the KKL to withdraw the unilateral decree against her. The president of the Cine Actors’ Guild Manipur, Lokendra Takhellambam, said that the ban was unjustified. Taking to Instagram, Manipuri actor and director Priyakanta Laishram denounced the ban and the “cancel cultures” that have long prevailed in Manipur. Others pointed out how Ms. Laishram used her fan following to seek justice for rape victims, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, a day after participating in the fashion show.
The media in Manipur, which is often forced to shut down to protest diktats by extremist groups and has recently been accused of biased reportage on the ethnic conflict by the Editors Guild of India, has also played up the “collective public outcry” against the KKL’s ban. An editorial in Imphal Times said, “It is a clear indication that society is rallying behind those in the entertainment sector, understanding the challenges they face, especially in turbulent times.”
The overwhelming support for the actor is a good sign. The ethnic conflict in Manipur shows no sign of abating. If anything, it is beginning to slowly fade from public consciousness. In such a scenario, it is crucial that Manipuri people, especially celebrities with massive followings, use the opportunities before them to speak up and spread awareness about what is going on in the State. The ban not only violates the actor’s individual freedoms, but also takes away focus from what she actually set out to do. Ms. Laishram’s participation in the event in the capital could in fact be the rallying point for organisations and individuals in conflict-scarred Manipur to come together and speak up about the urgent need to restore normalcy in Manipur.