NEW DELHI, January 13 (Manipur Information Centre): International acclaimed Manipuri film- IMAGI NINGTHEM ( My Son, MY Precious) directed by Aribam Syam Sharma are among seven Indian films selected under the section- Gems From NFAI of the ongoing 12th Pune International Film Festival 2014. The film-Imagi Ningthem has been digitized by the National Film Archives of India. The Archive has digitized 566 films and restored 329 so far under the National Film heritage Mission. Other films to be screened under the section are Bhavni Bhavai( Gujarati) directed by Ketan Mehta, Samskara (Kannada) by Pattabhirami Reddy, Daasi (Telegu) by B. Narsinga Rao, Agraharathal Kazhuthai (Tamil) John Abraham, Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai (Assamese) by Jahnu Barua and Esthappan (Malayalam) by G. Aravindran.
Imagi Ningthem will be screened in Blu-ray version in the ongoing 12th Pune International Film Festival in the section “Gems from NFAI” on 14th January at 9.00 am at City Pride, Screen 5, Abhiruchi, Pune.
The 110-minute long Imagi Ningthem tells the story of an orphan. A lady teacher, new to the village is asked by an old man to tutor his grandson who is sickly all the time. The teacher becomes curious to know more about the old man and the boy. She finds out from a colleague that the boy’s mother had been seduced by a man and died in child birth. It turns out that the father is the husband of her cousin who is promptly apprised of the fact. Her cousin is attracted to the unfortunate boy and adopts him while her husband is absent. Subsequently the husband returns home and objects to the boy being adopted for he does not know it is his own son. The grandfather wants to take the boy back but the step mother does not let him and ultimately keeps the boy.
Master Leikhendra, Ingudam Mangi, Rashi, Bhubhaneswari, Indra Kumar are main cast of the film scripted by M. K. Binodini and cinematographed by K. Ibohal Sharma. Khundrapam Joykumar scored the music. Imagi Ningthem brought Aribam Syam Sharma international recognition when the movie received theGolden Montgolfiere in the Nantes International Film Festival in 1982. Imagi Ningthem was the first Indian Film to bag the prestigious award in the Nantes International Film Festival.
