Syam Sharma's documentary gets National Film Award

New Delhi, Jun 10 (UNI) Aribam Syam Sharma's thirty minute non-feature film, Guru Laimayum Thambalngoubi Devi bagged the best award for Biographical/Historical Reconstruction/Compilation film in the 54th National Film Awards, 2006, announced here today.

The award was shared with Malayalee filmmaker M R Ranjana's Minukku. Film producers A Syam Sharma of Guru Laimayum Thambalngoubi Devi and Devadesan Keezhpatt and Bina Narayan of Minukku will share the 'Rajat Kamal' and a cash prize of Rs 50,000. Film directors - A Syam Sharma and M R Ranjan will also get the Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 50,000.

The citation says, "The Award for the Best Biographical/Historical Reconstruction/Compilation film of 2006 is given to" Guru Laimayum Thambalngoubi Devi "for the simplicity and grace with which the Director has related the story of the great Manipuri dance and theatre artist Guru Laimayum Thambalngoubi Devia".

K Bikram Singh headed the 6-member Non-Feature Film Jury of 54th National Film Awards. Sixty seven non-feature films including two from Manipur vied for the non-feature film awards.

The Best Feature Film in Manipuri which carried Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000 each for the Producer and the Director was not awarded in the National Awards 2006 since there was no production of Manipuri feature film in 2006.

The National Film Awards are being given every year to the best feature film in each of the languages specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. The last Manipuri Feature film which got the best feature film was Makhonmani Mongsabaa's Chatledo Eidi in the 48th National Film Awards 2000, said a Manipur Goverment release issued here today.

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