IMDb, the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movies, TV, and celebrity content, unveiled the Top 10 most popular Manipuri movies. Instead of basing its annual rankings on small statistical samplings or reviews from professional critics, IMDb determines its list of the most popular movies and TV series by analysing the actual page views of more than 200 million monthly visitors to IMDb.
“This exclusive and definitive data is derived from the IMDbPro movie and TV rankings, which are updated throughout the year,” the Directors Guild of Manipur stated.
Among the movies from Manipur, there were 10 films that were consistently the most popular with IMDb users. With “Ishanou” by Aribam Syam Sharma, “Oneness” by Priyakanta Laishram, and “Eikhoigi Yum” by Romi Meitei topping the chart, here’s the complete list of IMDb‘s ‘Top 10 Most Popular Manipuri Movies’:
Directed by Aribam Syam Sharma and written by M.K Binodini Devi, ‘Ishanou’ takes the first spot as the most popular movie on the Internet Movie Database. It was recently recognised as a “World Classic” by the Cannes Film Festival 2023. The film was also screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991. It was theatrically released on 6 July 1990 and was recently restored by the Film Heritage Foundation. The film stars Anoubam Kiranmala and Kangabam Tomba in the lead roles.
Written and directed by Priyakanta Laishram, ‘Oneness’ became the talk of the town upon its announcement, being the first-ever mainstream Manipuri film to deal with same-sex relationships. Covered extensively by both national and international media for its theme and content, the film claims the second spot. It tells the tragic story of a boy named Ivan Martin, who was killed by one of his family members for being gay. Starring Maya Choudhury, Priyakanta Laishram, Suraj Ngashepam, and Sachinker Sagolsem, the film was initially slated for an October 28, 2023, theatrical release. However, the makers recently issued an official statement postponing it due to the ongoing Manipur violence in 2023.
Directed by Romi Meitei, ‘Eikhoigi Yum’, a narrative on the impact of globalisation on a small remote village that causes the residents to move away in an attempt to eke out a livelihood, secures the third spot. Starring Ningthoujam Priyojit and Sorri Senjam in pivotal roles, the film premiered at the 22nd Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2022. It also received official selections at the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala 2022, the 12th Indian Film Festival of Bhubaneswar 2023 in Odisha, and the 45th Moscow International Film Festival 2023.
The fourth spot goes to Haobam Paban Kumar’s directorial ‘Nine Hills One Valley’. The film was among the 19 feature films selected for the Film Bazaar Recommends (FBR) section of the Film Bazaar 2020. It premiered at the 16th Jogja NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2021 in Indonesia. The film follows a Tangkhul from the hills as he travels to Imphal to see his daughter. Throughout the journey, he greets and meets a diverse set of individuals, silently exposing us to the perennially dire state of affairs in Manipur.
Lady Of The Lake (Loktak Lairembee)
Another of Haobam Paban Kumar’s directorials, ‘Lady Of The Lake (Loktak Lairembee)’, claims the fifth spot. Starring Ningthoujam Sanatomba and Sagolsem Thambalsang in the lead roles, the film delicately emphasises the role of oppression and fear in breeding insurgency while following an ordinary fisherman’s quest for survival. At the 64th National Film Awards, the film won the National Film Award for Best Film on Environment/Conservation/Preservation.
The other five movies included in the list that earned slots in the Top 10 are “Rongdaife” by Bobby Haobam (6th), “Resurrection: Amaba Sayon” by Johnson Mayanglambam (7th), “Imagi Ningthem” by Aribam Syam Sharma (8th), “Matamgi Manipur” by Deb Kumar Bose (9th), and “Enakta Leiringei” by Longjam Manoranjan (10th).
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