Natalia Ningthoujam
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith less than 70 cinema halls in the northeastern region serving a population of 40 million - a little more than that of Poland - shoestring budgets and a handful of productions in most states, the film industry in the region is struggling for survival. Filmmakers are looking to the central government to bail them out and help them enter the mainstream.
Of the eight states, only Assam and Manipur churn out movies on a regular basis, but only Assamese filmmakers can afford to make a film worth Rs.70 lakh to Rs.80 lakh, sometimes the budget of a costume of a Bollywood actress.
“It’s only in Assam and Manipur where there is a regular filmmaking culture,” Assam-born capital-based filmmaker Utpal Borpujari told IANS.
“The big budget Assamese feature films are about Rs.70 to Rs.80 lakh. They make approximately 15 to 20 films in a year. In Manipur, around 60 to 70 films are made in a year, but the budget varies between Rs.7 lakh and Rs.8 lakh,” he added.
Another problem is less screening facilities in the region. Due to lack of infrastructure, temporary screenings are organised in community halls.”There are community halls where movies are shown. Some filmmakers also go to different villages to screen their films,” said Borpujari.Borpujari says that a lot of northeast students go to the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute in Kolkata, but if the government can set up its branch or a new film school in the northeast, it will help youngsters.
Also, government aid can augment film production in the region.
However, the challenges notwithstanding, filmmakers like Meghalaya’s Steven Ao, who graduated from the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, wants to pursue his dream and make movies.
“My short film ‘Bamboo Shoots’ has been shown at various festivals like the International Film Festival of India, Goa; the Kolkata Film Festival and the Lago Film Fest, Italy. The exposure was good, but I need to do a lot more to get funds for my projects.
“I have a passion for the medium. But to earn my bread and butter, I don’t want to change my profession. I am putting all my energy into it and I hope it works,” said Ao.
If people like him continue to show passion towards the craft and get a little help from the government, the world will be their oyster.
(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)
