Shillong, May 6: An idea conceived on the lawns of the Jamia Millia Islamia university has actually bestowed rewards on two friends from Shillong who created a short feature film set during the troubled year of 1987.

“19/87”, a 36-minute short fiction film, won the best film, best cinematography and best screenplay in the competition section at the first Guwahati International Short Film Festival (GISFF), 2011.

The film, directed by Wanphrang Diengdoh and Dondor Lyngdoh, the two mass media friends who graduated from the Mass Communication Research Centre at the Jamia Millia Islamia, deals with an unusual or rather uncommon friendship that developed over a very tense period of time in the history of this place.

While Diengdoh was junior to Lyngdoh, what brought them together was the passion to “revolutionise” Khasi cinema as “stories from Shillong are unique, poignant and significant, yet still universal”.

The story revolves around a Muslim tailor, with the gift of prophecy, and a Khasi youth who actually strays into his solitary path.

The screenplay was conceptualised by Janice Pariat, a writer and art critic, while Café Shillong produced the film.

The cast includes Chetan Sahni, Dondor Lyngdoh, Willybirt and Anthony.

“It is a milestone in Khasi cinema, one that we take great pride in announcing as the birth of Khasi New Wave. Khasi New Wave draws inspiration from stories of the streets, depicting Shillong as it really is or was without omitting the unpleasant side of this beautiful hill station,” Diengdoh said while addressing a press conference here today.

He said the filmmakers are looking at theatres in town to screen the film so the public can get an opportunity to watch this new kind of Khasi cinema.

Diengdoh claimed that the film “is on a par with the cinema from the rest of the world”.

The shooting for the small-budget film started in September last year and the product was ready by February, Diengdoh said.

He said the film was also based on the kind of music and culture which prevailed during 1987.

“We did a lot of research for the film. It was a painstaking exercise as it was the first time for us,” Lyngdoh said while adding the film would form a trilogy.

The directors are looking at potential producers for their next film, which would be the second of the trilogy.

Shillong witnessed enormous turmoil in 1987 following riots between two communities.

The riot started around July and continued till December that year. Prior to 1987, there was also a riot in 1979. The last such riot took place in October 1992.