Shillong, August 16: Cinema made a triumphant return to Manipur, a strife-torn region, as a Bollywood movie centered on surgical strikes against Pakistan was screened in Churachandpur after more than two decades. A significant crowd gathered at the makeshift open-air theater in Rengkai (Lamka) to watch Vicky Kaushal-starrer “Uri: The Surgical Strike.”
As per news agency PTI, the screening was organized by the Hmar Students Association (HSA) to challenge the ban on Hindi movies enforced since September 2000 by the ‘Revolutionary People’s Front,’ a political arm of the proscribed People’s Liberation Army, a valley-based Meitei extremist group.
The event aimed to defy the anti-national policies of Meitei groups and express solidarity with India, as stated by Ginza Vualzong, spokesperson of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum, representing Kuki tribes.
Before the screening, the national anthem was played at the open-air theater, situated 63 km from the capital city. The event holds significance amidst ongoing ethnic clashes between the Meitei and tribal Kuki communities, which have claimed more than 160 lives since May 3.
The HSA declared the screening an act of defiance and opposition against terror groups that have suppressed the tribals for decades, urging people to unite for freedom and justice.
The last Hindi film publicly screened in Manipur was “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” in 1998. In 2000, following the ban, rebels burned thousands of Hindi video and audio cassettes and compact discs from state outlets. While the reason for the ban was undisclosed, it was believed to stem from the militant group’s concerns about Bollywood’s potential negative impact on the state’s language and culture.