Bangalore Manipuris flock theatres, even as film on Mary Kom is banned in home state

It is not often that a big-budget Bollywood film highlights the small hill state of Manipur and, that too, with the story of one of its most popular sporting icons, boxer MC Mary Kom. Unfortunately, the release comes at a time when Bollywood films have been banned in Manipur by militant groups. However, members of the Manipuri community in the city are making a beeline for movie halls screening the film.
“I watched the film with my family in a theatre. The audience was cheering and rooting for Mary. I liked the film. Priyanka did a fine job. We don’t care about the reviews. The film narrates the story of a Manipuri woman (Mary), and the struggle she faced to bring glory to the nation is commendable,” says Ringo Pebam, a Manipur native working as a software professional in the city, adding, “When was the last time Bollywood cared to bring a story from the backward northeast region to the silver screen?”
Pampak Khumukcham, a Bangalore-based clinical psychologist from Manipur, says the film brought to light a lot of indigenous aspects of the state. “There’s a beautiful Kom tribe dance number in the film. A lot of traditional costumes were used and characters mouthed dialogues in Manipuri (Meitei-Lon). In one scene, Mary’s husband is shown reading a local daily. The filmmakers took great pains to make the film look authentic. I’m happy to see a Bollywood movie about a Manipuri, which we never saw till date,” says Pampak.