At a time when a Hindi bio pic (short for a biographical picture, referring to a biography on film) on the life and journey of Milkha Singh also known as ‘the Flying Sikh’, a former Indian track and field sprinter and the only Indian male athlete to win an individual athletics gold medal at a Commonwealth Games is making waves in the media for flagging interest in the life and achievements of the athlete, it may be the turn of a bio-pic on state boxer Mary Kom who has been the World Champion in boxing (Women) for 5 times over to be center of attention next year. While bio pics are not new on the world film scene, Hindi films have mostly fought shy of making such films, choosing mostly on social dramas, romance, comedy or action. The few bio pics that did get made focused mainly on national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi who was the focus of an Oscar awarded Hollywood film and it took many years before Indian film makers attempted their own Hindi film versions on the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Others who became the subject of Hindi films were BR Ambedkar and Subhas Chandra Bose even though there have been various Hindi films inspired by real life situation and real people. Bio pics get made to instill real life journeys and give inspiration to the people who watch them and involve meticulous research and characterization. On the creative front, film makers and actors get drawn to bio pics for the challenges faced in getting into the skin of historical persons who have a place in the imagination of people. The slow turn of the Hindi film industry to bio pics is an encouraging sign and just a year ago, a bio pic on another athlete, Paan Singh Tomar a seven-time national steeplechase champion in the 1950s and 1960s and who went on to represent India at the 1958 Asian Games but ended up being a dreaded Chambal Valley dacoit. Killed in 1981 by the police, the bio pic was not only a reflection of the life of this athlete but a poignant commentary on the poor state of Government support systems for athletes.
The announcement of a Hindi bio pic last year on Mary Kom immediately after the 5 times World Champion won the Olympic medal backed no less by a producer who is an acclaimed film maker in his own light was big news for the state. Unfortunately, it was a big news that got missed in the home media which could possibly be because of the blanket ban on Hindi films and Hindi language based entertainment in the public sphere which was imposed from 2000 onwards by an underground group. That ban as we know killed off the movie theatre circuit though a few theatres still stand that shows Manipuri digital films. That ban on Hindi films co-incided with a phase where-in cinema multiplexes with increased seats, technically polished sound systems and other assorted film watching paraphernalia got introduced across the country. Manipur still has to see a decent movie theatre that is clean, has good seats and with safety norms inbuilt, much less see the light of any multiplex. And while the Manipuri film industry may still be churning out box office potboilers, the reality also is that not many people will find it worthwhile to catch the pictures at any of the theatres in the state. The more popular way of watching films here is to either catch it on a VCD or watch it at BOAT. Much has changed in the 13 years of the ban on Hindi films in theatres and on the local cable TV in the state, including ushering the Manipuri digital industry. With the emergence of the Dish TV service, people can now tune in to their favourite TV channels and watch the films that are on offer, thereby rendering the ban on Hindi films on a cosmetic level. While at one point of time, posters of Hindi film actors were stopped from being sold in the markets of Imphal and other districts and newspapers were pulled up for carrying Hindi film related news in the ‘entertainment’ section, the arrival of a popular film actor in the state to essay the role of Mary Kom is perhaps a reminder that the ban needs to go. It will indeed be a sorry turn of affairs if the people of the state are not able to watch it on the big screen.