Manipuri Cinema And Its Institutional Discourse

Abstract

Cinema which is a form of popular culture can also be examined as a social institution. After all “Film as part of culture reflects the values, dreams and hopes of societies. It specifically, is a powerful medium that conveys the values and beliefs of contemporary societies” (Cloete, 2017). Thus, cinema has a close interaction, influence and impact to any given society today in multiple dimensions and vice versa. However, as an institution and cultural form, it is very new and has a recent origin. But, within its short life span, cinema succeeds in making a tremendous change and evolution in its forms, modes, contents, context, technology and reachability. So, considering the intimate relation that cinema has with the masses, and also its fast changing forms and dimensions, this paper examine Manipuri Cinema and its discourse as an institution through the volatile socio-cultural, economic and political conditions of the state across the time period since its conception. Manipuri cinema has a distinctive world of its own; and is also occupying an important position, as a regional cinema, in drawing the overall landscape of Indian cinema. So, to examine and illustrate the various factors that leads to the birth of Manipuri cinema and its changing forms, from celluloid to digital through video films, is the main impetus of this paper.