Irom Maipak
Irom Maipak with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at the 49th National Film Awards.
Born(1967-08-20)20 August 1967
Sagolband Salam Leikai, Imphal West, Manipur
Died20 May 2021(2021-05-20) (aged 53)
NationalityIndian
OccupationCinematographer
SpouseThounaojam Rita Devi
Parent(s)Irom Sanajaoba
Irom Ongbi Thambalngoubi
AwardsNational Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Cinematography (2001)

Irom Maipak (20 August 1967 – 20 May 2021) was an Indian cinematographer from Imphal, Manipur.[1][2] He was the founding president of the All Manipur Cinematographers Association. Maipak had worked for more than three decades in Films and Television industry.[3] He received the prestigious National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Cinematography at the 49th National Film Awards.[4][5]

He died from COVID-19 complications on 20 May 2021.[6][7]

Career

Irom Maipak mastered the craft from Fulbright scholar, Ernest Gusella and Tomiyo Sasaki from United States and Aribam Syam Sharma. He had associated with renowned National Award winning filmmakers. His collaboration with Aribam Syam Sharma was marked by feature films namely Ashangba Nongjabi, Leipaklei and Nongphadok Lakpa Atithi and non-feature films such as Rajarshi Bhagyachandra, The Golden Hands and Raas Leelas of Manipur.[8] Cheina, Thajabagee Wangmada, Nangtana Helli, Tellanga Mamei, Amamba Lambee were films of Oken Amakcham cinematographed by Maipak. He had worked with Haobam Paban Kumar in the documentaries Mr. India (2009), Nupishabi (2010), Phum Shang (2014) and the feature film Nine Hills One Valley (2020).[9] Mr. India bagged the National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues at the 57th National Film Awards.[10] Phum Shang won the Best Investigative Film at the 62nd National Film Awards.[11] He had also shot a short documentary titled Mother's Market: The Indian bazaar run entirely by women for BBC in 2015.[12]

In 2016, he had worked with the filmmaker Bobo Khuraijam in the non-feature Ima Sabitri which was screened at many international film festivals. Leipaklei (2012) and Eigi Kona (2019) were movies filmed by Irom Maipak, which went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Manipuri at the 60th National Film Awards and 67th National Film Awards respectively.[13] He had also collaborated with the Assamese filmmaker Utpal Borpujari in the 2016 movie Memories of a Forgotten War.[14]

He documented the five forms of the Manipuri Raas Leela dance, namely Basanta Raas, Maha Raas, Kunja Raas, Diba Raas and Nitya Raas. It was directed by Aribam Syam Sharma for Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. Maipak had also worked as a cameraman in Asian News International (ANI) for three years. He was the director of photography for the Assamese movie Lefafa directed by Moirangthem Maniram Singha.

Accolades

Irom Maipak bagged the Best Videographer Award in the All Manipur Video Film Festival, 1993 for the feature film Kinepna Pahcha. He won the National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Cinematography in the non-feature section for the 2001 film The Monpas of Arunachal Pradesh at the 49th National Film Awards held in 2002.[15][16] The citation for the National Award reads, "For his fascinating style of framing under uncontrolled situations". He was the recipient of the NETV People’s Choice Award 2005, Guwahati for the Best Cinematography.[17]

In the 7th (2010) and 9th (2014) Manipur State Film Awards, for Mr. India and Phum Shang respectively, he won the Maibi Awards for Best Cinematography.[18] Navroze Contractor Award for Best Documentary Cinematography was awarded to Irom Maipak for Phum Shang at the 8th International and Short Film Festival, Kerala. He bagged the Best Cinematography Award in the 8th Sahitya Seva Samiti MANIFA 2019 for Meitan Araba.[19]

For the 2018 non-feature Raas Leelas of Manipur and the feature film Meitan Araba, he received the Best Cinematography Award in the 12th Manipur State Film Awards 2019. He also bagged the Best Cinematography Award at the 13th Manipur State Film Awards 2020 for the movie Nongphadok Lakpa Atithi.[20][21] The citation for the award reads, "Almost every frame of the film Nongphadok Lakpa Atithi are created lyrically realistic with the insight of the cinematographer's creativity. His capacity for understanding the disposition, inclination or natural tendency and mood of the varied scenes and sequence is brought forth in harmonized tonality by the angling lenses to the cinematographic frames. For the reasons herewith, Shri Irom Maipak, the cinematographer of the film is conferred the Award for the Best Cinematographer".[22]

Filmography

  • Feature films
Year Film Director
1992 Kinepna Pahcha Lamgin Dolingei
1995 Sanabi Aribam Syam Sharma
2000 Paari Aribam Syam Sharma
2003 Ashangba Nongjabi Aribam Syam Sharma
Cheina Oken Amakcham
2004 Thajabagee Wangmada Oken Amakcham
2005 Nangtana Helli Oken Amakcham
2006 Tellanga Mamei Oken Amakcham
N/A Lefafa Moirangthem Maniram Singha
2008 Crossroads Aribam Syam Sharma
2010 Amamba Lambee Oken Amakcham
2011 Miraang Aribam Syam Sharma
2012 Leipaklei Aribam Syam Sharma
Japan Lalda Imphal Chandam Shyamacharan & Manorama
2013 Dasha Aribam Syam Sharma
2016 Memories of a Forgotten War Utpal Borpujari
2018 Meitan Araba Lukanand Kshetrimayum
2019 Nongphadok Lakpa Atithi Aribam Syam Sharma
Eigi Kona Bobby Wahengbam & Maipaksana Haorongbam
2020 Nine Hills One Valley Haobam Paban Kumar
2021 Apaiba Leichil Bobby Wahengbam
  • Non-feature films
Year Film Director
1995 Yelhou Jagoi Aribam Syam Sharma
1998 Loktak: Dying Lake of Manipur Aribam Syam Sharma
1999 Thang-Ta: The Martial Art of Manipur Aribam Syam Sharma
The Marams Aribam Syam Sharma
Yubi Lakpi Bobby Wahengbam
2001 The Monpas of Arunachal Pradesh Aribam Syam Sharma
2002 M.K. Binodini Aribam Syam Sharma
The Golden Hands Aribam Syam Sharma
2003 Binodini: A Writer's Life Aribam Syam Sharma
Pandit Khelchandra Aribam Syam Sharma
Rani: The Living Legend Aribam Gautam
2004 Nilamani: The Master Potter of Manipur Aribam Syam Sharma
From Orphanage to Olympics Bobby Wahengbam
2005 The Theatre Incarnate Oken Amakcham
Guru Laimayum Thambalngoubi Devi Aribam Syam Sharma
2007 Rajarshi Bhagyachandra of Manipur Aribam Syam Sharma
Ratan Thiyam: The Man of Theatre Oken Amakcham
Joseph Ki Macha Bobby Wahengbam
2008 Mr. Manipur Aribam Syam Sharma
Leirol Aribam Syam Sharma
2009 Mr. India Haobam Paban Kumar
Sankirtan of Manipur Aribam Syam Sharma
Roshni Bobby Wahengbam
2010 Nupishabi Haobam Paban Kumar
The Zeliangrongs Ronel Haobam
2011 Leaders from the Below Aribam Syam Sharma
2012 Manipuri Pony Aribam Syam Sharma
2014 Phum Shang Haobam Paban Kumar
2016 Ima Sabitri Bobo Khuraijam
2018 Raas Leelas of Manipur Aribam Syam Sharma
2019 E. Sonamani Singh Aribam Syam Sharma
2020 Pabung Syam Haobam Paban Kumar

References

  1. ↑ "Irom Maipak on Moviebuff". www.moviebuff.com.
  2. ↑ "Many condoled the sudden demise of cinematographer Irom Maipak Singh today". The Sangai Express.
  3. ↑ "Manipur's finest cinematographer Irom Maipak loses Covid-19 battle". Imphal Free Press.
  4. ↑ "Irom Maipak - Awards". Times of India.
  5. ↑ "Irom Maipak, Manipur's only national award-winning cinematographer, dies of Covid-19". The Indian Express. 21 May 2021.
  6. ↑ "Acclaimed cinematographer Irom Maipak and Ex-MLA Irengbam Ibohanbi dies of Covid". ukhrultimes.com. 20 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Former MLA, film personality succumb to Covid". www.uniindia.com.
  8. ↑ "The Golden Hands - Aribam Syam Sharma". archive.org.
  9. ↑ "Haobam Paban Kumar's Nine Hills One Valley wins Special Mention Award in NFDC's Film Bazaar 2020". Imphal Times. 23 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "Manipuri film wins Best Social Issue Award". assamtribune.com. 15 September 2010.
  11. ↑ "Phum Shang (Floating Life) Un film de / a film by : Haobam Paban Kumar (Inde)". www.comitedufilmethnographique.com.
  12. ↑ "Mother's Market: The Indian bazaar run entirely by women". BBC News.
  13. ↑ "Eigi Kona". my.iffigoa.org.
  14. ↑ "Memories of a Forgotten War - Utpal Borpujari". www.magicalassam.com. 18 December 2015.
  15. ↑ M. Bimolchandra Singh. "Manipuri Film Industry" (PDF). Journal of Advanced Research in Journalism and Mass Communication.
  16. ↑ "Culture of the North East by Aribam Syam Sharma". www.yidff.jp.
  17. ↑ "Filmmakers Associated With Northeast Campaign to Have MIFF 2022 Showcase Late Maipak's Works". imphalreviews.in. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "9th & 10th Manipur Film Awards presented". The People's Chronicle. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  19. ↑ "SSS Manipuri Film Award: Meitan Araba takes away top prizes". www.manipur org. 11 February 2019.
  20. ↑ "Manipuri cinema turns 50: Year long Golden Jubilee Celebration kicks off". thefrontiermanipur.com. 9 April 2021.
  21. ↑ "Highways of Life wins big at Manipur State Film Awards 2020". www.thesangaiexpress.com.
  22. ↑ "Manipur State Film Awards announced; documentary on pugilist Laishram Sarita wins big". 21 May 2020.
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