Manipuri Cinema: Its Journey And Problems
Part 2
By: Meghachandra Kongbam *
There are four areas introducing Manipur in the international arena. They are the Manipuri dance, Manipuri theatre, sport and Manipuri cinema. Out of these areas, the only area which introduces the vivid picture of the identity and life-styles of Manipuri community to the outsiders is the Manipuri cinema. The whole of France got the opportunity to know about Manipur through nationwide telecast of Imagi Ningthem in the France Television. After watching Ishanou, the Westerners were aroused to take up research on Lai Haraoba and Manipur's rich folklore.
As such, Manipuri cinema deserves emphatic priority treatment. More patronage should come forward from the Government and other philanthropic agencies since commercial viability of the movement is still a remote dream. With the development of film, other fields like tourism and culture will flourish; better employment avenues can be opened directly or indirectly.
In fact, the condition of Manipur cinema has been at the worst when we have a look at the panoramic view of Indian cinema. Though we have a number of promising filmmakers, their talents could not be exposed to the public due to want of film producers or financiers.
One may ask the question whether Manipur has been able to produce other renowned filmmakers at the national and international level after Syam Sharma. The answer is "No". In the neighbouring state of Assam, we have seen many young talented filmmakers who have came up and received fame in the national scene recently.
Whereas in Manipur, those artistes and technicians who came to the profession with burning enthusiasm and sweet dreams now find themselves bogged down in utter despair and disappointment as the profession they had embraced so dearly now fails to give them their daily bread.
The annual output of one or two films cannot be taken into account as business or industry. However, the Manipur Government had been doing something for the promotion and development of films in Manipur.
The Manipur Film Development Council was set up in 1980. It was converted into a Corporation in 1987. It has now indispensable pre-production equipments. The facilities of these equipments have been made available to the film producers since 1990. Rupees one lakh is being given to the film producers as subsidy for a colour feature film. A new theatre is being constructed for exhibition of good films.
There is a question whether these few activities will ensure the survival of Manipuri Cinema independently at the moment. No, the Manipur film industry will not be possible without depending upon Calcutta, Mumbai and Chennai. For post-production of any Manipuri film, we have to depend on them.
Meanwhile, the film medium is surviving under the threat from Cable TV and Video in India and other countries. Everyone is searching the way to get the prospective market of films. Salted variety of Hindi and English films replete with sex and violence penetrated the whole being of Manipur audiences. They dominate the whole film market in Manipur.
Cinema hall owners are preferring exhibiting of cheaper variety of Masala films to get more collections from their box offices. As these films have more entertainment and are advanced in technology, they capture the whole audience.
At this juncture, the question of survival for Manipuri film producers is dim. They cannot easily get returns of their investment of around Rs. 5/6 lakhs for a film from the box offices of the existing 53 cinema halls in the State. Besides, the cinema hall owners are reluctant to screen local films as they are grasped by distributors of Hindi and English films.
On the other hand, the State Government has no plan for improvement of cinema houses as done in some other states like Bengal, U.P., etc. Most of the cinema houses in Manipur are substandard. The Government's attitude is only to extract huge tax from them. More than rupees 80 lakhs have been received by the State Government in a year as entertainment tax collections from these cinema houses.
There is no provision for construction and repairing of halls in the State budget. Sometimes the cinema hall owners receive severe blows from the consumer clubs for running their substandard halls.
One of the chief reasons responsible for the present state of affairs in our film industry is the lack of an avowed policy of the Government on the film industry. The onslaught of Cable television and video on the entire film movement has been recognised everywhere in the world. The Government of India also had taken cognizance of the fact and necessary steps have been taken to meet the challenges.
The High Powered Committee on the problems of the Film Industry constituted under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting submitted its report containing 69 recommendations to the Government in January 1990. Of them, 22 recommendations concerning the State Governments were communicated to the State Governments for implementation. Whereas most of the states had submitted their implementation reports to the Centre, six states including Manipur did not submit its implementation report to the Centre.
The recommendations among others, include some percentage of entertainment tax to be earmarked for development of film industry; award winning, panorama and children films be exempted from entertainment tax; concessional rates of electricity be extended to cinema theatres; newly built cinema theatres be exempted from entertainment tax for five years; cofiversion of cinema theatres into commercial complexes be curbed and construction of multiple theatres complexes be encouraged. As a follow up action of the recommendations, many state governments had announced their own film policies.
In Assam, the then Chief Minister, Hiteshwar Saikia announced the Assam State Film Policy Rules 1994 on October 8 in 1994. Main provisions of the Policy are refund of entertainment tax incurred within one year of the commercial release of regidhal films to the producer; compulsory exhibition of regional films, at least 150 shows in every cinema hall of the State in a calendar year; special grants or financial support be provided to award winning films, etc.
The policy also covers development of all aspects of the film industry including the Assam State Film Finance Corporation, the State-run Jyoti Chitraban Studio, grants to film producers, distribution-cum-exhibition training, award, festivals etc.
The Karnataka Government is giving a subsidy of Rs. 4 lakhs for each commercial Kannada films (an average of 100 films a year) and Rs. 5 lakhs for each art film, besides a 50 percent tax rebate for every Kannada film. The State Government is encouraging the film industry with its own infrastructure, including the facilities created at the Kanteerava Studio. It has even made provision for the film directors, producers, artistes to produce a feature film of their choice in its "Avalokawna" project undertaken by the Department of Information and Publicity.
In West Bengal, the industry is well established. It has its own Film Processing Centre and film exhibition theatre. In 1992, the State Government reduced the entertainment tax on Hindi and English films from 100 to 80 percent and Bengali films from 100 to 50 percent.
Again in 1995, it was further reduced from 80 to 70 percent for Hindi and English films and from 50 to 30 percent for Bengali films. Sales tax for film raw stock has been reduced from 11 to.4 percent. Sufficient funds are earmarked in the State budget for repairing and construction of cinema houses.
The Punjab Government announced the State Film Policy in June 1995. The government subsidy of Rs. 2 lakhs is extended for B&W Punjabi films and Rs. 6 lakhs for colour films. Thirty percent of the subsidy amount is being given on completion of 50 percent of the shooting of the film and the rest 70 percent after total completion of the film and production of censorship certificate.
The Government also introduced annual awards to the best Punjabi films with the prize money of Rs. 1.25 lakhs for the first, Rs. 75,000/- for the second and Rs. 50,000/- for the third. Besides, the national award winners of Punjabi films will get Rs. 2 lakhs cash and a shield. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharastra, Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have their own film cities with all facilities of filmmaking.
As for the Manipuri cinema, there has been no changes in the development of film during the past 5 to 6 years. Without delay, the state government should invite from various forums in the State associated with the film industry suggestions and advice for framing a comprehensive film policy of the State.
A State level high powered committee on film industry should be constituted to study the problems of film industry and to find out its solutions. The drafting of the film policy may be entrusted to the committee. Such a state film policy would herald the overall development of the film industry in Manipur.
A self sufficient infrastructure has to be established to make film production in the State easier and less costly. Such an establishment may not be as costly as in other States like Maharastra, Tamil Nadu, etc. A streamlining between the exhibitors and the Government on collection of revenue and proper utilisation of the same is the immediate need to bring about better facilitity in tax and other matters.
The exhibitors' willing co-operation will ensure much better market to the Manipuri films. Film societies in Manipur have to be reactivated. Film festivals, discussions, appreciation courses, workshops have to be organised very often. Manipuri cultural heritage having stood on its own as a distinct personality in the global cultural context, the Manipur film movement as the mouth¬piece of the heritage is poised to appear in the competitive arena from the very beginning.
We have therefore to prepare for the great challenge. As to our present progress, we have to say that we are on the right track. But we are lagging behind other States in speed. Our own slow motion will be killing us, ultimately allowing ourselves to be swallowed up by the powerful wave of non-cultures nearly overwhelming us.
A political will to stop this onslaught of the destructive trend has to be invoked at this stage. The emergence of that will should save us.
Concluded