New Delhi: Well-known Manipuri actress Soma Laishram has been banned from acting in films and attending social events for the next three years after the actress chose to be the showstopper at a beauty pageant during the North East Festival organised by My Home India at New Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium on September 16, Saturday. She was seen taking centre-stage at the event.
However, her participation in the pageant at a time when her state Manipur is grappling with one of the worst human crises in its history has not gone down well with the people of the state.
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The Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) has decided to ban Laishram from films and social events with immediate effect and the members condemned her for participating in the beauty pageant. As per reports, the KKL as well as other Meitei compatriots had requested Laishram to not be a part of such festivities and celebrations amid the ongoing crisis back home, but the requests fell on deaf years, The Free Press Journal reported.
In a joint statement, the Film Forum Manipur and the Film Actors Guild Manipur also mentioned that they too had reached out to Laishram, appealing to her to back out of the beauty pageant in light of events in Manipur, but the actress chose to disregard them. The KKL stated that her appearance at the beauty pageant was a “blatant defiance”, and that it is seen as disrespect to the memory of those who are suffering in Manipur and have lost their lives and livelihoods, the report added.
Laishram has not yet issued an official statement. Her fans have rallied by her side and have extended their support to the actress. The actress has been sharing all the messages received from her fans on her social media handle, in which she is being praised for voicing out the ongoing crisis in Manipur by representing the state on a national platform.
The ban decree also stated that if individuals or groups are found associating with her despite the ban, then they will have to face dire consequences.
