Imphal, Oct 18: Two Manipur filmmakers Mayanglangbam Romi Meitei and Saikhom Ratan on Tuesday bagged awards at the 69th edition of the National Film Awards, New Delhi. The national film awards, held annually, are organised by the Directorate of film festivals under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Romi received the award for his iconic feature film “Eikhoigi Yum” (Our house), while Ratan went home with the award for his flick “Beyond Blast”.
Romi was honoured with the best Manipuri (Meiteilon) film award, while Ratan bagged the Best Biographical film award. Before making a debut with parallel cinema with “Eikhoigi Yum”, Romi was a successful mainstream commercial filmmaker as he made over 100 such movies most of which were box office hits.
On receiving the award, director Romi Meitei said that Tuesday’s event was great and memorable, but the current crisis gripping the state has dampened his celebratory moods.
On the other hand, Saikhom Ratan said I’m overwhelmed by this honour. But sadly, the situation back home prevents me to indulge.
Besides Romi and Ratan, young, energetic & award-winning filmmaker - Borun Thokcom, also from Manipur, was a proud spectator at the glittering awards ceremony as he was among a few film personalities of the nation who were jury members of non-feature film category.
Borun,a jury member for the national honours for the first time said, “We had to view more than 200 short and documentary films in multi-languages. However, at the end of the day, beauty has no language barriers and language of cinema presided, and films made with passion and with the right intent stood out as always. I feel happy that Manipuri filmmakers did well in both the categories, feature and non-feature.”
This year, the “Dada Saheb Phalke Award '' (lifetime achievement award), the highest film honour of the country, went to yesteryear’s shining Bollywood beauty, Waheeda Rehman. President Murmu, praised Waheeda and said she represents a woman of substance and a shining symbol of an empowered woman.
President also conferred the awards to the outstanding filmmakers and cast and crews at the ceremony attended by a constellation of great Indian movie stars and promoters.
