A Manipur film tackles sexual identity for first time

Laishram, who himself came out as gay in 2019, says the movie is based on the alleged honour killing of a gay youth in Manipur in 2013. He says he came to know of the incident through the YouTube talk show he began in 2020 amid the first pandemic lockdown when he returned to Imphal from college in Chandigarh.

The talk show, “Up Close with Priyakanta Laishram’’, raises various social issues, including those pertaining to gender and the LGBTQ community.

“After having listened to my show, the victim’s cousin got in touch with me. She told me that her brother, who belongs to a tribal community, was in a relationship with a Meitei boy. He was 18 years old while his Meitei boyfriend was 21 at the time. The victim’s family got to know about his sexuality when the pair were caught in a hotel room during a police raid. While he had support from his mother and sister, his father and older brother were very religious,’’ said Laishram, who is pursuing a degree in Sociology.

According to Laishram, the two boys were subjected to conversion therapy by their families. The victim’s cousin told Laishram that the boy was subjected to exorcisms and submerged in water in an attempt to re-baptise him. Laishram says the victim kept a detailed account of what had happened in a journal, which forms the basis of the film.

According to Laishram, the two lovers got in touch with each other after several months. “The victim’s older brother, who was keeping a close watch, followed him to a rendezvous. That night, after the victim had come home, the brother mixed bleaching powder and ammonia in his milk. The boy died that night. A case was never registered and it was deemed a suicide,” he said.

“In any case, in tribal areas, it is tribal law that holds prevalence, so there is little that the police can do in such situations,’’ Laishram said.

When Laishram first announced the movie, he says he received threats from the community to which the victim belonged. “I changed the name of the character, and chose Martin as his surname…very carefully, after research, so as to not hurt the sentiments of any community. Martin is not a name that is commonly used,’’ he says.

This was not the first time that Laishram has received threats for his work. In 2018, the independent filmmaker released a short film on male sexuality and child sexual abuse. “I received threatening calls from four different insurgent groups,’’ he said.

Manipuri cinema is circumscribed by diktats of insurgent groups that act as moral police. In 2002, Meitei-centric valley groups banned Hindi movies in the state. Movie theatres shut down in Imphal city. Restrictions were imposed on Manipuri cinema: lead characters would have to wear traditional clothing, storylines would have to be traditional, and dream sequences and fantasies were banned.

“It’s not just films, but even music videos. Whether it is a rock or classical or pop music video, the women have to mandatorily wear phaneks (Manipuri traditional clothing), and no other clothing is permitted,’’ said Meena Longjam who won a national award for her film “Autodriver’’ in 2015.

Laishram says it was “exceedingly’’ difficult. “I spent eight months just looking for an actor to play the lead role. Every actor said no because it was the role of a gay man. While I got an actor to play the boyfriend, I had to play the victim’s character in the movie myself,’’ said Laishram, who has also written, produced and directed the film.

Having struggled with bullying and discrimination in school and college in his home state as well as other cities for his sexuality and his penchant for wearing make-up, Laishram says it was through making movies that he began the process of accepting himself. “Manipuri society doesn’t understand homosexuality. That’s why this movie is so important,’’ he said.