Six years after its foundation stone was laid, the proposed Centre for Culture and Moving Images (Cultural and Heritage Complex) at Ringui village remains limited to a fenced plot, prompting the Ringui Village Authority, local artistes and filmmakers to renew their appeal for the Manipur government to release funds and begin construction.
Ringui headman Wungmatem A. Shimray said that, following instructions from the Art and Culture Department, more than 10 landowners donated a contiguous 14-acre plot at Rakharan along the Mahadev–Tolloi state highway for the project.
“The site is scenic, spacious and has a perennial water source, making it ideal for a cultural and film hub,” Shimray said.
The project was earmarked in 2019 as the state’s official Film City for the hill districts, with an initial sanctioned outlay of Rs 63 crore. The foundation stone was laid on February 4, 2020, by then Art and Culture Minister L. Jayantakumar Singh, in the presence of Chingai MLA Khashim Vashum, Art and Culture Commissioner M. Joy Singh and Manipur State Film and Television Institute Director Prof Nilotpal Majumdar.
However, Shimray said only Rs 5 lakh had been released so far for barbed-wire fencing, leaving the project stalled. The estimated cost was revised to Rs 139 crore in 2021 as construction costs have risen over time due to material price inflation, he said.
“We request the state government to urgently take steps to commence construction without further delay, so that the much-anticipated wish of the people is fulfilled,” Shimray said.
Ringui has sustained a grassroots film movement for about 35 years and is popularly known as the “Bollywood of the Tangkhuls”. Its cinematic journey began in 1990 with local filmmaker Wungkathing Makang’s Tangkhul feature Nawui Tuingashit. The village has since produced an estimated 60 to 70 regional films, including Kalivahao, Tipkhawon, Khipawui Khayon and Kongphei Chili.
Makang, who heads the M-Series banner, said he has been associated with around 60 films, including about 40 Tangkhul feature films produced under the banner. Reports have also noted Ringui’s growing film culture and the continuing lack of construction at the proposed film centre.
The indigenous Tangkhul Naga film Samkhok, produced in Ringui, represented Manipur at the Busan International Film Festival in 2025, according to reports. The 30th edition of the festival was held in Busan, South Korea, from September 17 to 26, 2025.
Renowned local artiste Chihansing Zimik, 68, said he began acting in 1990 and has appeared in 21 films, with another awaiting release. Zimik, who also directs the Zingko Theatre Repertory in Ringui, said artistes face persistent resource constraints despite the annual financial assistance received by his troupe.
“Being an artist is full of challenges, especially in terms of resources. Yet the promise of a Film City filled us with joy, and we remain hopeful that it will be realised sooner rather than later,” he said.
Residents said the proposed complex could provide a permanent base for training, accommodation, production and screening, helping connect the region’s grassroots creative talent with wider audiences. The project includes training facilities, accommodation, screening halls and digital-production resources for filmmakers, actors, musicians and technicians from Manipur’s hill districts.
