New Delhi: ‘Water Burial’, a film based on the Monpa dialect of Arunachal Pradesh, has won the Best Film National Award in the environment conservation category. Directed by Shantanu Sen, the film is inspired by the Assamese novel ‘Saba Kota Manuh’, written by Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi.
The film garnered positive reviews for its uniqueness in portraying the rituals of the tribals of the Northeast and bringing the attention of the mainstream media towards it. ‘Water Burial’ is presented by Sanjive Narain, Chief Managing Director of Prag News, produced by AM Television and co-produced by Faruque Iftikar, India Today reported.
Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma congratulated producer Sanjive Narain as Water Burial received the National Film Award ‘Swarna Kamal’ – best film on Environment Conservation in feature film category in India. The announcement was made on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5, the report added.
Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted, “Today on environment day, I would like to congratulate @Sanjive Narain , CMD of AM televisión for getting the National award # Swarn Kamal #‘ for the movie Water Burial , ‘Best film on Environment conservation in feature film category in india (sic).”
A dead body is also useful for somebody. The film gives an important message on how to save the environment, Sanjive Narain told India Today.
“Once the person dies in the Monpa tribe, the body is cut into 104 pieces and the parts of the body are thrown into the river so that the fishes in the water can eat. The fishes can survive on those parts of the body. The Monpa tribe in Arunachal Pradesh is living at a height of 8,000-9,000 feet above sea level and the river is also there and the fishes survive on this. The whole objective of the film is focused on environment,” he was quoted as saying.
