Uri: The Surgical Strike Publicly Screened In Manipur On Independence Day

A Hindi film was screened publicly in Manipur's Churachandpur on Independence Day, over two decades after insurgents banned Bollywood movies in the state.

Tribal organisation Hmar Students' Association (HSA) publicly screened the film, 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'. "This is to show our defiance and opposition to terror groups which have subjugated the tribals for decades," the group said in a statement. "Join us in taking a pledge to continue our fight for freedom and justice," it added.

The state government had earlier screened "Kashmir Files" and "Rocketry" for a limited audience in Imphal.

"Although, Hindi films are not banned in the state, they are not screened regularly in cinema theatres which is not under purview of the government. But Hindi films are still aired on various satellite and TV channels on a daily basis. Besides, the Hindi movie Rocketry: The Nambi Effect was screened on August 20, 2022 at the auditorium of Manipur State Film Development Society which was witnessed by Chief Minister N Biren Singh, his Council of Ministers, MLAs and many government officials," the Manipur government said in a statement today.

The tribal students' body, however, said the screening of the film was indeed the first public screening open for the whole general public and not a select few. "...As a result, this event marked the first instance of an open public screening of a Hindi movie in Manipur since the year 2000," the tribal body said in a statement today.

The ban on screening of Hindi films was imposed in September 2000 by rebel outfit Revolutionary Peoples' Front (RPF). Officials said that within a week of imposing the ban on September 12, rebels had burnt 6,000 to 8,000 video and audio cassettes and compact discs in Hindi collected from outlets in the state.

Though the RPF gave no reason for the ban in the northeastern state, cable operators said the group feared a negative impact of Bollywood on the state's language and culture.

Many from Manipur on social media pointed out Hindi movies have been screened in relative safety, the most recent being Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Pathaan' at a theatre in March this year in Ukhrul district, apart from the government screening of 'The Kashmir Files' and 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect'.

They said though no regular public screening of Bollywood movies has been held, Hindi movies and music made a comeback in a big way in cable TV and other media from the mid-2000s and people have been openly consuming Bollywood content, except through public screening.