The Bacchae is an ancient Greek tragedy, written by the Athenian playwright Euripides during his final years in Macedonia, at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon. It premiered posthumously at the Theatre of Dionysus in 405 BC as part of a tetralogy that also included Iphigeneia at Aulis and Alcmaeon in Corinth, and which Euripides' son or nephew is assumed to have directed. It won first prize in the City Dionysia festival competition.
In Greek mythology, Pentheus was a king of Thebes. His father was Echion, the wisest of the Spartoi. His mother was Agave, the daughter of Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, and grandson of the goddess Harmonia. His sister was Epeiros and his son was Menoeceus.
Manipur is a state in northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanmar, Sagaing Region to the east and Chin State to the south. The state covers an area of 22,327 km2 (8,621 sq mi). The official and most widely spoken language is the Meitei language. Native to the Meitei people, it is also used as a lingua franca by smaller communities, who speak a variety of other Tibeto-Burman languages. Manipur has been at the crossroads of Asian economic and cultural exchange for more than 2,500 years. This exchange connects the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia to Southeast Asia, East Asia, Siberia, regions in the Arctic, Micronesia and Polynesia enabling migration of people, cultures and religions.
Ratan Thiyam is an Indian playwright and theatre director, and the winner of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987, one of leading figures of the "theatre of roots" movement in Indian theatre, which started in the 1970s. Also known as Thiyam Nemai, Ratan Thiyam is known for writing and staging plays that use ancient Indian theatre traditions and forms in a contemporary context. A former painter, and proficient in direction, design, script and music, Thiyam is often considered one of leading contemporary theatre gurus.
The Bacchae is an independent film adaptation of Euripides' play The Bacchae, produced by Lorenda Starfelt and John Morrissey, and directed by Brad Mays.
Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM) or the National Theatre Festival, started in 1999, is the annual theatre festival organised by National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi. The festival was started to showcase works of Indian theatre practitioners, and it has grown over the years to attract international performers as well. National School of Drama is India's premier theatre training institute funded by Govt. of India.
Surja Bala Hijam, better known as Bala Hijam is an Indian actress, who predominantly appears in Manipuri films. She is known for her lead role in Malayalam road film, titled Neelakasham Pachakadal Chuvanna Bhoomi.
Pakhangba is a primordial deity, often represented in the form of a dragon, in Meitei mythology and Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is depicted in the heraldry of Manipur kingdom, which originated in paphal, mythical illustrations of the deity. It is believed that the ancestor of one of the Meitei clans manifested himself as the Pakhangba.
The Cinema of Manipur is the film industry based in Manipur, India. It includes not only Meitei language movies but all the films made in different languages of the different communities in Manipur. The Manipuri film industry was born when Matamgi Manipur by Debkumar Bose was released on 9 April 1972. From Aribam Syam Sharma's Paokhum Ama and M.A. Singh's Langlen Thadoi (1984) to Oken Amakcham's Lammei and Haobam Paban Kumar's Loktak Lairembee and many others, Manipuri cinema, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, has grown in both its form and culture.
Chinglen Thiyam was an actor, comedian, lyricist and director of Shumang Kumhei theatre in Manipur. He had acted in over 100 plays and directed around 20 plays. Thiyam had also acted in many Manipuri films. He was popularly known as Commando Chinglen from the Shumang Leela Thawaina Punshigidamak. Not only in digital films, but he had also acted in Manipuri celluloid movies. He was conferred with the Iboyaima Shumang Leela Award in 2020 for his profound contribution in Shumang Leela. Wari Loidri, Khomlang Laman, Thawaina Punshigidamak, Sanagi Nga, Keishamthong Thoibi were some of the famous plays where he acted.
Eikhoigi Yum is a 2022 Manipuri film directed by Romi Meitei. It is jointly produced by Sheetal Chingsu and Romi Meitei under the banner of Thangarakpa Living Frames. The film got official selection at the 22nd Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2022. It was the opening film at the 1st Eikhoigi Imphal International Film Festival 2022. The film was certified by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2021. The film won the National Film Award For Best Film In Meiteilon at the 69th National Film Awards.
Apaiba Leichil is a 2021 Manipuri film directed by Bobby Wahengbam. It is jointly produced by Wahengbam Tomba, Hanjabam Sobhananda (Bung) Sharma and Bobby Wahengbam under the banner of Third Eye Productions. The film is based on the short story Nungshibagi Saklon (Nungsitombi) by Rajmani Ayekpam. It stars Bishesh Huirem and Arun Yumnam in the lead roles. The film won three awards at the 14th Manipur State Film Awards 2022. It got official selections at the 18th International Film Festival of Thrissur 2023, Kerala Kashish International Queer Film Festival 2023, Mumbai. The movie was screened at the Sangai Film Festival 2022, which was organised as a part of the Manipur Sangai Festival.
The ancient legend of Kadeng Thangjahanba and Tonu Laijinglembi is an epic cycle of incarnations of Meitei mythology and folklore from Moirang kingdom of Ancient Kangleipak. It concerns the fateful love of Kadeng Thangjahanba, a skilled blacksmith, for the beautiful Tonu Laijinglembi.
The Marjing Polo Complex is a sports complex dedicated to ancient Meitei deity Marjing, Sagol Kangjei and Meitei horse, built in the hilltop of the Heingang Ching, the sacred abode of God Marjing, located in Heingang, Imphal East district, Kangleipak . It houses Marjing Polo Statue, the world's tallest equestrian statue of a polo player.
The South East Asia Cultural Organisation (SEACO) is an international cultural organization that works for the development of the Meitei culture of Kangleipak (Meitei for 'Manipur'). It aims to preserve the unique history, culture, identity, and religion of Manipur. It also advocates to take "extra caution about the issue of preservation of the cultural identity of the Indigenous people in the wake of the present globalization".
Yairipok Thambalnu, originally known as Sanoujam Chanu Thambalnu or simply as Thambalnu, was a Meitei lady native to Yairipok region of Kangleipak. She was a victim of intrigues and was forced to meet a tragic death in drowning in a flooding river.
The cultural heritages of Meitei civilization has classicism in diverse traditions of cinemas, dances, language, literature, music, theatre, etc.
Japanese people and Meitei people have a long history of sharing and interacting with each other's art and cultural heritages, including but not limited to cinema, music, mythology, language, literature and theatre.
Hojang Taret is a classical Meitei language play based on Euripides's ancient Greek tragedy The Phoenician Women. It is directed by Oasis Sougaijam and produced by The Umbilical Theatre in Imphal, Kangleipak . It depicts the moral ambiguities of conflict between brothers resulting to the ruination of the ancient city of Thebes.
Sanaleipak Nachom, also known as Sanaleipak Nachom Artistes' Association or simply Sanaleibak Nachom, is a Meitei cultural association of artists of Shumang Kumhei art form of Kangleipak.
