Actress Debita Devi at the film festival in Imphal on Saturday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Imphal, Jan. 20: A Manipuri feature film shot in Lakhipur, a nondescript hamlet in Cachar district of Assam, swept nearly half of the awards at Festival of Manipuri Cinema, the first video film festival.

The film, Lakhipurgee Lakhipyari (Lakhipyari of Lakhipur), directed by Laimayum Surjakanta won 11 of the 24 awards, including those for the best feature film, best director, best actress, best supporting actress and the best child actor.

The awards were distributed during a star-studded cultural extravaganza last night.

The winner of the best supporting actress, Seema Devi, is the wife of Surjakanta and Bolex, the best child artiste, is the second son of the couple.

Devita Devi won the best actress award.

The film is based on a famous novel by Ashok Khurai who died of a heart attack in 2006 during shooting at Lakhipur, a place dominated by Meiteis.

It is Ebudhou Film Creations’ maiden production. The company plans to screen the film free of cost at various orphanages.

“We will not charge anything and take our equipment to the orphanages,” producer Somen Moirangcha, winner of the best screenplay award, said.

“The main idea is to spread the message that without parents a boy or a girl can be successful in life through intense struggle,” Surjakanta said.

The film has been screened in Imphal’s theatres and in Lakhipur. It is now being shown in some theatres in Thoubal district of Manipur.

It is a love story between Amar, a boy from Imphal and Lakhipyari who is a village girl from a rich family.

Amar has never seen his father who drove away his mother before his birth. When an elderly man provides shelter to the mother and the son, Amar’s father becomes suspicious and tries to kill his wife and son.

To save themselves from her husband’s wrath, the woman kills her husband and is jailed.

Amar grows up in Lakhipur like an orphan. He finally meets his mother but loses his childhood sweetheart Lakhipyari who by then has married another man.

Amar does not lose heart and becomes a famous singer.

The film shows how the Meitei villagers in Lakhipur still preserves their culture and lifestyle.

It also aims at reviving ties between the Meiteis in Manipur and those in Cachar district of Assam.

Film Forum, Manipur, organised the festival as part of its campaign for recognition of movies made on video format and their inclusion in the National Film Festival and Indian Panorama section of the India International Film Festivals.