The Meitei people, Meetei, Manipuri people is an ethnic group native to Manipur. They form the largest and dominant ethnic group of Manipur in Northeast India. They speak the Meitei language, one of the 22 official languages of the Indian Republic and the sole official language of Government of Manipur. The Meiteis primarily settled in the Imphal Valley region in modern-day Manipur, though a sizeable population has settled in the other Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. There is also a notable presence of Meitei people in the neighbouring countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Meitei ethnic group represents about 53% of Manipur's population.
Lai Haraoba is a traditional Meitei religious festival of ritual dance and musical theatre, celebrated annually in honour of Umang Lais, the forest deities of Sanamahism.
Aribam Syam Sharma is an Indian filmmaker and composer from Manipur. He debuted in the first Manipuri film Matamgi Manipur as an actor. In 1974, he directed his first movie Lamja Parshuram. It became the first Manipuri film to run for 100 days in the box office. His 1979 film Olangthagee Wangmadasoo was the first ever and the only Manipuri film to run for 32 weeks. It also broke the local box office records of Sholay.
Ishanou is a 1990 Indian Meitei language film written by M. K. Binodini Devi and directed by Aribam Syam Sharma. The movie stars Anoubam Kiranmala and Kangabam Tomba in the lead roles. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. In 2023, it was recognised as a "World Classic" by the Cannes Film Festival 2023 and it was the only film selected from India for the event for that year. The movie was first aired in Doordarshan and later released in Usha Cinema, Paona Bazar on 6 July 1990.
Olangthagee Wangmadasoo is a 1980 Indian Meitei language film written by M. K. Binodini Devi, produced by G. Narayan Sharma and directed by Aribam Syam Sharma. The film features Kangabam Tomba, Yengkhom Roma and Kshetrimayum Rashi in the lead roles. The movie was censored in 1979 and released at Friends Talkies, Paona Bazar on 18 January 1980. It was the first ever and the only Manipuri film to run for more than 30 weeks, till date. The film ran for 32 weeks at the box office.
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, the first colour Manipuri film (1983), M.A Singh's Langlen Thadoi, the first full-length colour Manipuri film (1984), Oken Amakcham's Lammei, the first Manipuri digital film (2002), to Priyakanta Laishram's Oneness (film), the first Manipuri gay-themed film (2023), Manipuri cinema, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, has grown in both its form and culture.
Leipaklei is a 2012 Indian Meitei language film directed and produced by Aribam Syam Sharma. It stars Leishangthem Tonthoi in the title role. The story of the film was written by Arambam Samarendra and screenplay by Arambam Ongbi Memchoubi. Leipaklei was screened on the inaugural day of 5th Guwahati Film Festival 2012. It was also screened at the 18th Kolkata International Film Festival and Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) held at Jeonju, South Korea. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Manipuri at the 60th National Film Awards.
Imagi Ningthem is a 1981 Indian Meitei language film directed by Aribam Syam Sharma and written by M. K. Binodini Devi. It won the Golden Montgolfiere at the Festival des 3 Continents, Nantes in 1982. The film was also screened at many International Film Festivals, which include Denver International Film Festival, London Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival, Montreal International Film Festival and International Film Festival of India. It won two awards at the 29th National Film Awards.
Panthoibi, also known as Nongpok Leima, is a goddess associated with civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom in the mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak. She is a consort of the God Nongpok Ningthou. She is considered to be one of the divine incarnations of Leimarel Sidabi and is also identified as a form of Goddess Nongthang Leima. She is worshipped mainly by the Meitei people in Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Nongpok Ningthou, also known as the Sovereign of the East or King of the East, is a deity in Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. He is the ruling guardian deity of the eastern direction. Legend says Nongpok Ningthou and his consort Panthoibi were united in the Nongmaiching Ching mountains. Later, they were worshipped as the civilization giving deities in Meitei religion.
Irom Maipak was an Indian cinematographer from Imphal, Manipur. He was the founding president of the All Manipur Cinematographers Association. Maipak had worked for more than three decades in Films and Television industry. He received the prestigious National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Cinematography at the 49th National Film Awards.
Orchids of Manipur is a 1993 non-feature Indian Meitei language film scripted by M. K. Binodini Devi and directed by Aribam Syam Sharma. It is produced by Sh. Tomchou Singh under the banner of Manipur Film Development Corporation (MFDC) Limited. The film was screened at the second edition of Fragrances from the North East 2014, a three-day festival of cinema from the northeast.
There are many different dance styles from Manipur, a state in northeastern India bordering with Myanmar (Burma), Assam, Nagaland and Mizoram. Manipuri dances encompasses both classical and folk dance forms. The Raas Leela is one of the major Indian classical dance forms. The folk dance forms are mainly attributed to ancient Meitei deities such as Umang Lai and performed during Lai Haraoba, and also the dances of the different tribal communities of Manipur.
Manipuri Pony is a 2013 non-feature Indian Meitei language film scripted by Aribam Gautam and directed by Aribam Syam Sharma. It is produced by Films Division of India. The film won the National Film Award for Best Exploration / Adventure Film at the 60th National Film Awards. The movie was also selected in the Indian Panorama of the 44th International Film Festival of India 2013 and the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2014.
Paari is a 2000 Indian Meitei language film written by Aribam Gautam and directed by Aribam Syam Sharma. The movie stars R.K. Surchandra in the lead role. This children film is produced by Children's Film Society, India. The movie participated at National Children's Film Festival (NCFF) 2010, Guwahati; 2nd Children's Film Festival and 4th Children's Film Festival 2013, Imphal. Paari was among the films screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2015 under the section A special retrospective on ace filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma.
Pabung Syam is a 2021 Indian Meitei language documentary film directed by Haobam Paban Kumar. It is produced by Films Division of India. The film was selected in the non-feature section of the Indian Panorama at the 52nd International Film Festival of India 2021. It won the Best Biographical Film award at the 68th National Film Awards.
The culture of Meitei civilization evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Ancient Kangleipak, continuing most notably into Medieval Kangleipak, while influencing the neighboring states and kingdoms, till present times.
Jagoi refers to the arts of dance in Meitei culture.
Meitei cinema, also known as Maniwood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Meitei language, widely spoken in the state of Manipur. The popular term Maniwood, is a portmanteau of "Manipuri" and "Hollywood".
The cultural heritages of Meitei civilization has classicism in diverse traditions of cinemas, dances, language, literature, music, theatre, etc.
