IMPHAL, October 9: Haobam Paban Kumar’s debut Manipuri feature film- Loktak Lairembee (Lady of the Lake) is among seven films selected for the Indian Cinema Now section of the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala 2016 (IFFK) which will be held at Thiruvananthpuram from December 9 to 16. The Kerala Chalachitra Academy released the list of 7 Indian films selected in this section on Friday.
Films selected for the Indian Cinema Now category are: Bhaapaa Ki Bhayakatha (directed by Paresh Mokashi- Hindi), Chronicles of Hari Harikatha Prasanga (Ananya Kasaravalli-Kannada), Lady of the Lake (Paban Kumar Haobam-Manipuri), Onaatah (Pradip Kurbah- Khaasi) Revelations (Vijay Jayapal-Tamil), Turtle Kaasav (Sunil Sukthankar & Sumitra Bhave-Marathi), and Western Ghats Merku Thodarchi Malai (Lenin Bharathi-Tamil).
Over the years IFFK, which is staged soon after the International Film Festival of India in Goa, has now become a popular gala.
Loktak Lairembee (Lady of the Lake) has the World Premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, South Korea (October 6-15), and will have the Indian Premiere at Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival (October 20-27).
The 71 minute-long movie tells the story of Tomba who is sick and depressed since the authorities burnt his huts after blaming his community for the pollution of the Loktak Lake. He has confined himself at home and lies idle the entire day, terrified of the possibility that the authorities may return to take whatever he has left.
One morning, Tomba accidentally finds a gun within the biomass. At first he is confused, but slowly, starts enjoying his newfound toy. He becomes aggressive and starts looking for opportunities to use the gun.
The film Loktak Lairembee is based on a short story- Nongmei written by the Sahitya Akademi awardee Sudhir Naoroibam. Paban Kumar and Sudhir Naoroibam developed the screenplay of the film
Haobam Paban Kumar who is currently at Busan International Film Festival, South Korea, will take up his next venture of a Manipuri feature film on Joseph Ki Macha, a short story penned by Sudhir Naoroibam. Joseph Ki Macha has been selected in the Co-Production Market of the Film Bazaar 2016 organised by the National Film Corporation of India to be held during the International Film Festival of India 2016 in Goa from November 20 to 28.
