A scene from the film Nobap. A Telegraph picture

The Second Millennium Mongoloids’ production Nobap, recently screened at Paradiso hall in Imphal, is a contemporary story on footballers from the backwaters of Manipur.

The film by producer-writer Suresh Hidang is directed by Heisnam Tomba.

Most of the football players of the state start playing with nobap (a large citrus fruit) at a very young age.

While government schools in the urban areas have few students, there are a few teachers in village schools. They idle away their time kicking a nobap — a sort of ready-made football.

Thrilled by the exciting game, they save their pocket money to buy a football.

Seeing a bunch of boys play football, taxi driver Thambou feels the urge to help them get proper training and arranges a coach for them.

The children participate in state-level football tournaments and come up trumps.

Manipuri footballers in the senior national team used to play nobap at the grassroots level.

Raju Nong plays the lead role as Thambou. His platonic love for Thaja, enacted by Abenao, is well-portrayed through skilful acting and shots. Thambou gives her a lift to the city everyday.

Abenao works in a tailoring shop in the city with her friend Thoibi, played by Ranjana.

Thoibi and Thanou, a village boy love each other.

Being a villager, he rides a bicycle to meet his girlfriend in the countryside and talks in folk dialogue. Actor Gokul played the role.

Director Tomba attempts to hold of the viewers’ attention from all angles.

Nong, Gokul, Abenao and Ranjana delineate their characters proficiently.

Child artistes Denil, Chingkhei, Chingkheinganba, Biken, Russel, Oliver, Robinson and Santosh looked like natural footballers. Their deft acting makes the audience emotional.

Art director Bishe Moirangthe has made significant contribution towards the film’s success.

After some insurgent groups imposed a ban on the screening of Hindi films, cinemas in Manipur have stopped screening English movies too.