MANIPUR MINDSCAPES

Manipur Mindscapes is a film similar to Indian classical music, allowing viewers to experience the rasa of a raga through its sonic elaboration. The film features the 'Guru Mantra' of a Manipuri martial art teacher, Lamja Tomba, who was the first Manipuri feature film directed by Debkumar Bose in 1972. Joshy Joseph's short film explores the spirituality of a Manipuri martial art, 'Thang-Ta', through the incorporation of oral elements, church bells, and choir chants, highlighting the transcendental nature of the art. The film explores the local fable of the Horse and Tortoise, focusing on a young boy's dreams and a schoolgirl's drawing contest. It uses the Guru Mantra and Mindscape to explore human desires for happiness and selfhood. The scene, from the director's award-winning film Wearing the Face, is a reminder of the Covid19 era and the use of masks by college students in Manipur. Manipur Mindscapes is a poignant narrative that revolves around the return of a terracotta Tortoise, initially sold for INR 40 by an artisan woman, but later returned as a prize to her daughter's drawing contest, highlighting the theme of melancholy and the Wheel of Time.