Manipur film-maker Romi Meitei wins best director award at Kazan int’l film fest

Imphal: Adding another feather in his cap, renowned Manipuri film-maker Mayanglambam Romi Meitei has won the best director award for his debut non-commercial film ‘Eikhoigi Yum’ (our home) at the 19th Kazan International Muslim Film Festival in Kazan city, Russia.Last month, Meitei bagged the best Manipuri film award for the same film at the 69th National Film Awards 2021 in the language category specified in Schedule VIII of the (Indian) Constitution.During the five-day Kazan cinema festival that concluded on Saturday, as many as 127 feature films from across the world vied for awards in different categories.Though Meitei bagged the famed award, he didn’t express his fullest jubilation, owing to the unceasing ethnic strife besetting Manipur.“I would be happier winning this award had there been no conflict in Manipur. The ongoing clashes have rendered thousands of people homeless, and getting an award at this juncture doesn’t make me joyful,” said Meitei, a resident of Kongba in Imphal East district.“While our country has left its mark on the moon with the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the strife-torn people are still unable to return to their native homes. Given the situation, a question arises — which is farther, the moon or the homes of the displaced people?” he asked and prayed for everlasting peace in Manipur.Some of the Russian audience, who are aware of the Manipur turmoil, said they would pray for normalcy to return to the state very soon, Meitei said. The 89-minute Eikhoigi Yum revolves around Loktak, the biggest freshwater lake in the northeast. With the fishing community facing eviction notice from the government, the film is a narrative of the impact of globalisation on a small remote village which forces the residents to move away in an attempt to eke out a livelihood.Expressing his happiness over Meiteis’s win, Manipur art and culture commissioner, Mongjam Joy Singh, said his success is like a silver lining in the dark clouds hovering over Manipur.“Romi Meitei’s ‘Eikhoigi Yum’ has done exceptionally well in the festival circuit winning state, regional, national and international awards. But the best director award for Romi for the film is an icing on the cake. I congratulate him and wish that he continues to bring glory to Manipur and manipuri cinema in his future endeavours,” Joy said.