Thong Iong Nga is about love and music. And director Simi Khongtiang is about courage and determination. Thirty-three-year-old Khongtiang is the only woman director from Jaintia Hills and is all set to release her 15th feature film in Pnar.
Originally from Jowai, Khongtiang shifted to Shillong around two years ago after her marriage broke. With three children, Khongtiang continued to direct films, which is her “full-time job”, with the help of a few friends in Jowai.
“It is not easy, especially financing the movies. But my previous movies have really done well and I have three more producers who play multiple roles in the team, besides being supportive friends,” says the director of Thong Iong Nga, which is likely to release by September end.
Talking about the upcoming film, Khongtiang says this is her biggest project with a budget of Rs 16 lakh. Her countenance changes as she talks about the challenge.
“We are planning to organise road shows for promotion. This time it is really a big amount and so is the risk,” she says and adds that she made her first film with Rs 10,000.
Khongtiang got married after she cleared higher secondary and started helping his husband with scripts. Their first film, Skop, was a success and they never looked back. In 2007, she resumed her studies but could not complete her graduation .
Her eldest daughter, 12-year-old Ekratia, is Khongtiang’s young assistant and actor. The director says her daughter takes deep interest in her work and is always keen on helping her. “I think she is going to follow in my footsteps,” Khongtiang says with a hint of pride in her voice.
Shillong has opened up a new window of opportunity for the young director from Jowai and at the same time posed new challenges. The Shillong film culture is more vibrant and energetic and Khongtiang has to work hard to come up to the mark.
“I still lack technical expertise and I am working hard to improve my skills to match the benchmark here. I read a lot nowadays,” she asserts.
Khongtiang says she prefers romantic stories to those depicting harsh reality. “My films are simple. The characters speak simple language. One does not have to know Pnar to understand my films.”
Besides films, theatre is her other subject of interest. Khongtiang says she loves Shakespeare’s plays and would like to adapt one someday for the stage.
Theatre, says the director, is gradually losing its popularity in Jowai and needs to be promoted and preserved. She wants to make a film on the issue to create awareness on the dying art. “I would also like to direct plays,” says Khongtiang, who had a tryst with theatre during school days.
When asked about how long a journey she is embarking on, Khongtiang says it is a long journey and she will not take a short-cut. “I am here to learn and I will put in my best effort. Someday I want to make a film like Pradip Kurbah and travel outside the State,” she adds.
