Aribam Syam Sharma: A Profile

Aribam Syam Sharma is a filmmaker, composer and singer from Manipur. Before venturing into films, he directed several plays. He is also a Professor of Philosophy.

ARIBAM SYAM SHARMA: A BRIEF PROFILE 

Aribam Syam Sharma, rose above complex socio-economic circumstances and went on to enrich Indian cinema. A consummate artist and polymath, well versed in music, both as a singer and composer, and in theatre; he studied Rabindra Sangeet and Philosophy at Visvabharati, Santiniketan. Although trained in classical Indian traditions, his pioneering contribution as a composer reflect a deep understanding of the nuances of indigenous music, and his musical compositions are now considered classics.

While teaching as a Professor of Philosophy at D.M. College of Arts (now D.M. University), Imphal, he experimented with avant-garde theatre directing many plays, thus marking the start of experimental theatre in the state. He has played a seminal role in revolutionizing the cinema of Manipur in the ’70s and in his over 45-year journey, has made 15 feature films and over 31 non-feature films that depict the dynamics of Manipuri culture and its way of life.

His films are unique and inimitable, articulating stories of the common man. Choosing a linear narrative structure to tell his stories, critics have often remarked on the ‘uncomplicated framework’ that he has deliberately adopted to represent Manipuri life on screen. At a time when cinema in Manipur was struggling to find its own identity as a distinctive art form, Aribam Syam Sharma placed it firmly on the international map through his epoch-making films.

His Imagi Ningthem (My Son, My Precious, 1981) won the Montgolfière d'Or at the Festival des 3 Continents, Nantes in 1982; while Ishanou (The Chosen One, 1990) was the Official Selection in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival 1991, Sangai – The Dancing Deer of Manipur (1987) was declared Outstanding Film of the Year in 1989 by the British Film Institute. He has also won the National Film Award fifteen times.