Keku Lotpi - A revelation to watch
Review by: Ramesh Laishram *
Being out of the state we don't have much access to the Manipuri movies that are being released at home. Whatever we get to watch are those which are brought by our friends who are coming from home.
One of such film was "Keku Lotpi", when I had a first glimpse of the movie, I thought it would not be nice, as the print was really bad and Olen sported a big fake moustache. So I left the movie untouched for some time. But yesterday along with some friend we did take the plunge and thought let's see it and delete it very fast.
So started a journey, a very unexpected one at that because it turn out to be one of the good Manipuri movies that we have watched in recent times. Among all the luke warm romantic craps that are being churn out, it was quite a change. And give us a reflection of the present situation in Manipur.
The restlessness, lawlessness, un-orderly situation that the common people are facing right now is depicted neatly. Anybody from anywhere is being picked up and shoot at, countless number of JAC will be formed, will agitate some days and all will be quite after some time.
The loss is only the one who is dead and the ordeal that the family has to undergo afterwards has been shown quite vividly. Everybody and everyone have a habit of taking law in their own hand, making a joke of the judiciary system.
In one such scene, when the husband of the protagonist is killed, nobody care that it is a crime scene, nor to search and hear what really happens, they started breaking the house and all short of things, even they take out the body from the crime scene, nobody really care to call the police. To guess that this short of case is really happening back at home gives us a chill.
To give a synopsis of the movie, Olen is a budding columnist, who is an idealist and mind you who does not earn much and live life a day at a time. Problem in his life starts when his brother in law is kidnapped one night and killed.
After a lot of agitation and formation of JAC, his sister returns home and stay with him. To make ends meet, she started a "pan dukan", and the hurdles that this particular lady has to face makes up the rest of the movie, in the mean time there a lots of subplots that could have been avoided.
Olen as 'Lanjenba' have given one of his best performance, much to the delight of the audience he is trying to change from the simpleton village boy image he have moulded for himself. A commendable job and much appreciated. Kamala is very natural as the outgoing lawyer who likes Olen.
Olen's sister Played by Ngangbi is well enacted and the little boy who plays Olen's nephew is wonderful. Pritam as usual sleep walks whole through the movie. The director Homen D' Wai have tried to deviate from the usual masala movie and he have succeeded up to some extent. And writer Moirangthem Inao mostly known for his romatic tragedy in radio plays have tried something new and hits the bull's eye on this social drama too.
The use of animation in the song sequences were also quite a delight to watch, it brings to life the old folk lore of Manipur which until now only existed in our imagination. Here is a whole lot of scope for our movie maker to be exploited. You can witness it in the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIz4i_RWn9s
The plot could have been more thrilling and bind you to your seat had it been edited for some 20 minutes, taking out all those unnecessary plots and sticking to the main context. Well altogether a very nice movie and a must watch I will say. Bravo! To the producer for taking up such a theme and hope they will continue doing the good work.