Over two decades ago, Romi Meitei started entertaining the audience in Manipur with his “masala films.” Then his latest feature, Eikhoigi Yum (Our Home), a movie set in Loktak Lake with the fishing community being hit by an eviction notice, won Best Meiteilon Film at the recently announced 69th National Film Awards. Now, the filmmaker hopes this recognition encourages more producers to pump money in “non-masala movies” as well.
The prestigious annual awards, which recognise the best filmmaking talent in India, were announced by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, on Thursday.
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“I am not the sort of person who runs after awards. But I hope that this win encourages producers to finance non-masala movies,” says Meitei.
In his long film journey, he has made more than 37 feature films. People have loved these movies, but he somehow felt suffocated.
“I don’t have anything against commercial cinema, but I also want to tell our own stories that are based on reality,” says the filmmaker, who has helmed movies like Amukta Ani, Thoiba Thoibi and Inga Nonglakta.
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“Eikhoigi Yum” puts a spotlight on an isolated fishing community of the Loktak Lake, which is the biggest freshwater lake in northeast India. The plight of the community is shown in the 86-minute film through the eyes of a boy.
“It is a fiction feature film that is inspired by real life. I had written the story in 2011 when authorities had issued an eviction notice to the fishing community. The incident inspired me to tell the story through the eyes of a boy,” says Meitei.
He was referring to the moment in 2011 when under the provisions of Loktak Provision Act 2006, the Loktak Development Authority destroyed many floating huts and the fishing community faced eviction risk.
“I started looking for producers, but no one supported me back then because they didn’t like the story. They said the audience wants ‘masala type of movie,'” he says.
Years later, his mother and other family members financed the film. “It turned out to be a home production,” he recalls with a smile.
The National award win comes after Eikhoigi Yum bagged the FIPRESCI International Federation of Film Critics Award for the best International Film at the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala. It also got the NETPAC Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema Jury Special Mention at the fest.
The movie, starring Master Priyojit, Nganthoibi, Bhumeshwor, Sori Senjam, Bhanu Leima, Nupaton, Rajen, Kunje and Brojen, is not just a film fest favourite. It also grabbed the third spot in the Top 10 most popular Manipuri movies on IMDb, which is a popular source for movies, TV and celebrity content.
Right now, he is not looking at public screenings. “I would like to take the OTT route for this film. I want my money back for my next project. I spent about Rs 22 to 23 lakh on ‘Eikhoigi Yum,'” says Meitei.
He has already started working on his next film. “I have completed one story. It is on the problem of gun culture. It’s not just in Manipur, but also in places like the U.S. that people are facing this problem,” says the Chairman of Mami Thawan Foundation, which aims to render services for the welfare of people of Manipur.
“We have many meaningful stories to tell, but it’s mostly budget constraints that are coming in the way,” he signs off.