Manipuri Films Shine at 56th IFFI Indian Panorama 2025 ,Two Manipuri Filmmakers Bring Pride and Hope to the State

Manipur has made a proud comeback at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025 after its absence from last year’s Indian Panorama. The Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS) announced that two Manipuri films — Battlefield and Oitharei (Save My Soul) — have been officially selected in the non-feature and feature film categories respectively.

Filmmaker Borun Thokchom’s feature-length documentary Battlefield, an 80-minute film that explores the untold stories of the Second World War’s Imphal battle, has been chosen in the non-feature section. Meanwhile, debutant director Dinesh Naorem’s Oitharei, a 102-minute feature film depicting a widow’s struggles and trauma amid Manipur’s ongoing ethnic unrest, has earned a spot in the feature category.

This marks a remarkable milestone for Manipuri cinema. While Andro Dreams was the last Manipuri documentary to be featured in the Indian Panorama in 2023, Oitharei ends a seven-year gap for Manipuri feature films since Eigi Kona (Stallone, My Pony), directed by Maipaksana Haorongbam and Bobby Wahengbam in 2019.

MSFDS Secretary Sunzu Bachaspatimayum congratulated the filmmakers, stating, “This is indeed a moment of celebration. The achievements of Borun Thokchom and Dinesh Naorem reaffirm that Manipuri cinema continues to stand tall – resilient and creative – despite the challenges. They have restored faith that our stories, rooted in truth and courage, will always find their place on the global stage.”

Battlefield, shot over ten years, features war researcher Rajeshwor Yumnam and captures the lingering effects of WWII in Manipur, juxtaposing global war commemorations with the silence surrounding contemporary humanitarian suffering in the state. The film was incubated and developed at MSFDS’ “Imphal Documentor”, a project development lab organized in collaboration with the Documentary Resource Initiative (DRI), Kolkata, in 2022. It is produced by Manjoy Lourembam, Dr. Radhesyam Oinam of Network Services Imphal, and Viswamithra Universals, and will have its world premiere at the festival to be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, 2025.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has selected 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films for this year’s Indian Panorama. With Battlefield and Oitharei among them, Manipuri cinema once again takes its rightful place on the national stage — as a cinema of depth, defiance, and soul.