Imphal: The 17th edition of the Manipur State Film Awards (MSFA) 2025 conferred its Lifetime Achievement Award on eminent scholar and cultural thinker Arambam Lokendra for his lifelong commitment and invaluable contributions to the growth and evolution of Manipuri cinema.
The Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee chairman, M Joy Singh, Commissioner (Art & Culture), Government of Manipur, announced the award in a function on Thursday. The award carries a cash reward of Rs. 1 lakh, a Memento, a citation, and a shawl.
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Born in 1939, Arambam Lokendra turns 86 this year. His life and work remain an enduring inspiration to the creative community.
MSFDS salutes his artistic journey and invaluable contribution with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
He has been making enduring contributions as a screenwriter, Actor, Filmmaker, and film academician have leaving an indelible mark on the aesthetics and craft of filmmaking in Manipur.
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Arambam Lokendra Singh was a key crew member in the realization of Matamgi Manipur, the first Manipuri feature film, playing a pivotal role in adapting, screenplay-writing, and translating the script “Tirtha Jatra”, the stage play of Aryan Theatre to the cinematic idioms when there were no ideas about the nuances of filmmaking in Manipur. It was a creative, laborious, innovative process. Acting in the film was a bonus, and the screen presence was just a part of the reflection of his intimate involvement in the film.
A pioneer of alternative theatre in Manipur, Arambam’s work under the banner of Aryan Theatre and Forum for Laboratory Theatres has fearlessly confronted political violence, poverty, and ethnic identity through performance.
His documentary on the seminal play “Pebet”(1985) introduced Manipuri non-feature film at the Indian Panorama section of Indian Cinema, considered the window to the best of Indian films. His research on Manipur’s ritual traditions, supported by the Ford Foundation, has preserved the soul of our performing arts.
Additionally, he participated in dubbing a Hindi language feature film into Manipuri, rechristening it as “Umanggi Mee.”
In 2003, he produced an explosive documentary film on the Meira Paibee of Manipur, ‘Soldiers in Sarong’ for Ford Foundation, USA. As a retired professor and former head of Manipur University’s Audio-Visual Research Centre, his legacy bridges academia and activism, making him a deserving candidate for this honor.
A visionary cultural activist, his insightful and scholarly approach has shaped the discourse around Manipuri films beyond entertainment. His tireless efforts in mentoring and training generations of young filmmakers and film enthusiasts through various workshops and lectures have borne fruit, as many of his students have today become the leading voices of Manipuri cinema at both national and international platforms.
Furthermore, his passion, vision, and selfless contribution have laid the intellectual foundation on which the present and future of Manipuri cinema securely stand.