Bittersweet Memories

LAKSHMIPRIYA DEVI ON SHOOTING HER DEBUT FEATURE BOONG IN A BORDER TOWN AND THE IDEA OF 'OTHERNESS'

- By Karishma Upadhyay

Manipuri filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi was shooting her recently released debut feature Boong in Moreh, a small town on the India-Myanmar border, in late February of 2023. About a week later, the ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and Kukis broke out in the state. "There was a feeling that something was brewing. A bandh had been called, but we couldn't just sit in our hotel rooms. We shot outside the police station there, using their barricades to create a set and borrowing fruits and vegetables to 'dress' the empty stalls and carts. Just as we were about to start shooting, a Tamilian wedding procession went past, which helped because the streets were otherwise completely empty," she remembers. This border town has a diverse population, including significa