Aribam Syam Sharma

Aribam Syam Sharma
Born (1936-03-21) 21 March 1936 (age 88)
Imphal, Manipur, India
Occupation(s)Film director, Singer, Music composer
AwardsGolden Montgolfiere (1982)
Padma Shri (2006)
V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award (2008)
Kamal Kumari National Award (2009)
Jewel of Manipuri Cinema (2015)
Websitearibamsyamsharma.in

Aribam Syam Sharma is an Indian filmmaker and composer from Manipur. He debuted in the first Manipuri film Matamgi Manipur as an actor. In 1974, he directed his first movie Lamja Parshuram. It became the first Manipuri film to run for 100 days in the box office. His 1979 film Olangthagee Wangmadasoo was the first ever and the only Manipuri film to run for 32 weeks.[1] It also broke the local box office records of Sholay.

His fourth film as a director, Imagi Ningthem (My Son, My precious) brought him international recognition when the film received the Montgolfiere d' Or at the Festival of Three Continents, Nantes in 1982.

His 1990 film Ishanou (The Chosen One) was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.[2]

In 2006, the Government of India awarded Sharma with the Padmashri,[3] but he returned the award in February 2019 to protest against the Indian Government's decision to enact the Citizenship Amendment Bill of 2019.[4][5]

In recognition of his contribution in the Indian documentary cinema, the Government of India conferred him Dr. V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award in the 10th Mumbai International Film Festival, 2008 organised by the Films Division.[6] Syam Sharma was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 7th Manipur State Film Festival 2010. He was also conferred with the Jewel of Manipuri Cinema award on 14 May 2015 by the Film Forum Manipur and the Manipur State Film Development Society.[7]

Filmography

Feature films

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Matamgi Manipur Actor, Music Director First Manipuri full-length feature film. The movie bagged the President's Medal at the 20th National Film Awards.
1974 Lamja Parshuram Director, Music Director His debut film as a director.
1976 Saaphabee Director Best Feature Film in Manipuri at the 24th National Film Awards.
1979 Olangthagee Wangmadasoo Director Best Feature Film in Manipuri at the 27th National Film Awards.
1981 Imagi Ningthem Director, Music Director First Indian film to win Grand Prix Award at Nantes. Best Feature Film in Manipuri at the 29th National Film Awards.
1983 Paokhum Ama Director Screened at Tyneside International Film Festival, U.K.
1990 Ishanou Director, Music Director Screened at the Un Certain Regard section of the 1991 Cannes International Film Festival. Best Feature Film in Manipuri at the 38th National Film Awards.
1995 Sanabi Director, Music Director Selected for Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt and IFFI. Best Feature Film in Manipuri at the 43rd National Film Awards.
1998 Shingnaba Director Film on superstitions and beliefs in Manipur and HIV menace.
2000 Paari Director First Manipuri children film.
2003 Ashangba Nongjabi Director, Producer, Music Director Adapted from M. K. Binodini Devi's famous 1966 play of the same title.
2008 Crossroads Director Film on a group of friends and their aspirations to establish a rock band in Manipur.
2011 Miraang Director Based on Arambam Samarendra's play of the same title.
2012 Leipaklei Director Screened at Jeonju International Film Festival, South Korea. Best Feature Film in Manipuri at the 60th National Film Awards.
2013 Dasha Director Based on Arambam Samarendra's play of the same title.
2019 Nongphadok Lakpa Atithi Music Director, Screenplay Writer, Director Premiered at the 3rd Guwahati_International_Film_Festival as the Opening Film of the Indian Section.

Non-feature films

Year Title Role Notes
1980 Sanaleibak Manipur Director Best Documentary Film in the Non-Feature category at the First Manipuri State Film Festival 1984.
1986 Tales of Courage Director Deals with the freedom struggle movement in Manipur, emphasising on the role of Manipuri women in the resistance against the British rule.
1988 Sangai: The Dancing Deer of Manipur Director Bagged five merit awards in the 12th International Wildlife Film Festival, Montana, U.S.A. Declared Outstanding Film of the Year by British Film Institute, London.
Keibul Lamjao National Park Director Bagged the Best Documentary Film in 2nd Manipur State Film Awards 1994.
Koro Kosii Director Participated in Indian Panorama of IFFI 1989. Screened at Indian Film Week, Hungary, 1989 and Bombay International Film Festival 1989.
1989 The Deer on the Lake Director National Film Award for Best Environment/Conservation/Preservation Film at the 37th National Film Awards.
1990 Indigenous Games of Manipur Director National Film Award for Best Exploration/Adventure Film at the 38th National Film Awards.
1991 Meitei Pung Director Special Mention Award at the 39th National Film Awards.
Lai Haraoba Director Official selection in the Indian Panorama of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), 1992.
1993 Orchids of Manipur Director Best Environment/Conservation/Preservation Film at the 41st National Film Awards. Screened at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2019, Japan. Participated in International Wildlife Film Festival, Morocco, 1994.
1995 Yelhou Jagoi Director National Film Award for Best Anthropological/Ethnographic Film at the 43rd National Film Awards. Opening film of the Indian Panorama of the IFFI in 1996. Screened at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2019, Japan.
1998 Loktak: The Dying Lake of Manipur Director
1999 Thang-Ta: The Martial Art of Manipur Director National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film at the 47th National Film Awards.
The Marams Director Participated at Indian Panorama of IFFI, 2000; Mumbai International Film Festival 2000 in Competition Section and Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival, 2000.
2001 The Monpas of Arunachal Pradesh Director Best Anthropological/Ethnographic Film at the 49th National Film Awards.
2002 M.K. Binodini Director Documents the life of the renowned writer M. K. Binodini Devi.
The Golden Hands Director A film on Manipuri traditional handloom continuing an age old cultural tradition.
2003 Pandit Khelchandra Director
Binodini: A Writer's Life Director
2004 Neelamani: The Master Potter of Manipur Director Documents the life and achievements of the famous potter of Manipur Neelamani Devi.
2005 Guru Laimayum Thambalngoubi Devi Director National Film Award for Best Biographical Film at the 54th National Film Awards.
2007 Rajarshi Bhagyachandra of Manipur Director Selected for Indian Panorama in the non-feature section of the 38th International Film Festival of India 2007.
2008 Mr. Manipur Director Screened at the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival 2008.
Leirol Director A non-feature film on the oral folk literature describing flowers.
2009 Sankirtan of Manipur Director
2011 Leaders from the Below Director
2012 Manipuri Pony Director National Film Award for Best Exploration/Adventure Film (Including sports) at the 60th National Film Awards.
2014 Kangla Director
2018 Raas Leelas of Manipur Director Won the Best Non-Feature Film Award at the 12th Manipur State Film Awards 2019.
2019 E. Sonamani Singh Director

Bibliography

Year Work Ref.
2006 Living Shadows [8]
2014 Eshei Binodinigi
Modern Manipuri Music and Me
2016 Manipuri Cinema: Eigi Paodam [9]
2022 Critics on Indian Cinema [10]

Documentary films focussing on the life and the filmmaking career of Aribam Syam Sharma was made by Gurumayum Nirmal Sharma and Th. Brajabidhu.

Another non-feature film on the filmmaker titled Pabung Syam was also made in 2020 by Haobam Paban Kumar and produced by Films Division of India. The film was selected at the 52nd International Film Festival of India 2021 in the non-feature section of Indian Panorama.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Olangthagee Wangmadasoo (1979)". BFI. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Chosen One". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  3. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Indigenous people will become strangers in their own lands: Aribam Syam Sharma". The Hindu.
  5. ^ "Veteran Manipuri filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma returns Padma Shri Award in protest against Citizenship Amendment Bill". www.ndtv.com.
  6. ^ MEGHACHANDRA KONGBAM. "Aribam Syam Sharma: A Genius in the World of Indian Cinema". imphalreviews.in.
  7. ^ "Jewel of Manipuri Cinema 2015 award to be conferred to Aribam Syam Sharma". Imphal Free Press.
  8. ^ Luwang, Donny Meisnam. "Aribam Syam Sharma - Life sketch (Awarded Padmashree in the year 2006)". E-pao. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  9. ^ "Book Review" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017 – via The People's Chronicle.
  10. ^ "Legendary filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma to release new book". e-pao.net. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Five films from Northeast in IFFI's Indian Panorama". The News Mill.