Scope of Entertainment Industry in Arunachal Pradesh

Scope of Entertainment Industry in Arunachal Pradesh

13 May,2022 07:18 PM, by: Posy Lui
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Entertainment and show business has been in the market for well…many decades.

Entertainment as a business exists in its own world of diverse sectors ranging from theatre, film, television, music, sports, fine arts, and more. Millions of people across the globe are working in this sector. Some make it easy, some struggle to make it and some die trying. There is no denying the fact that if you make it to the industry, there is money, fame, and easy access to several privileges that many can only dream of. This industry has produced brilliant faces under the guise of actors, musicians, directors, sportspeople, etc. that millions of people can recognize and are fans of.

Entertainment and showbiz is a global industry amassing half of the world's economy if combined. Indian media and entertainment industry alone is valued at 28 billion USD currently, and is estimated to attain 100 billion USD by the year 2030, said Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) at the inauguration of Media and Entertainment Week at Dubai Expo's India Pavilio.

Out of the other sub-sectors under this industry, Indian cinema has been ranked first in the world for multiple years in terms of annual film output according to Wikipedia. "As of 2020, the combined revenue of all other language film industries has surpassed that of the Hindi film industry, and in 2021, Telugu cinema became the largest film industry of India in terms of the box office."

Regional movies surpassing Bollywood?

Gone are the days when the language used to be a barrier. In recent years, talents and skills that keep people glued to their screens are making it big in showbiz.

This makes me ponder about my state, Arunachal Pradesh. India as a country is democratically diverse. And Arunachal boasts its own diversity in terms of culture, beliefs, flora and fauna, etc. We have 26 major tribes and more than 100 sub-tribes with each tribe articulating different dialects.

In recent years, Arunachal has made some remarkable development in multiple aspects, of which churning out talents across different sectors, including entertainment, has been one of them. Be it Jeli Kayi Tamin, famed Indian Idol contestant and Arunachali singer, Taba Chake, a singer-songwriter based in Mumbai, Chum Darang, a renowned beauty queen who shared screens in the Blockbuster movies “Baadhai Do” and “Gangubai Kathiawadi”, Tiktok, and social media famed Monu Deori amongst the others, they are leaving their marks in the entertainment industry. Not to miss out Riken Ngomle, who become the first from the state to be appointed as assistant professor (acting) at the prestigious National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi.

Cinema as a means of entertainment has been a part of Arunachal Pradesh since way before the state attained its statehood. The state's first coloured featured film 'Mera Dharam, Meri Maa' was released in the year 1977, directed by Lt. Bhupen Hazarika, the legendary Assamese singer, musician, and lyricist, before we even had a television in every household.

Heck, the first test runs for the coloured Tele broadcast in India by Doordarshan started only on April 25, 1982. Just imagine.

Talking about cinema, the Arunachali movie 'Crossing Bridge' released in the year 2013, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Sherdukpen. It was directed by Sange Dorjee Thongdok, featuring prominent Arunachali figures such as Phuntsu Khrime and Anshu Jamsenpa (Padma Shri awardee).

Most recently, Tapen Natam has received several international accolades for his Tagin short film "BORME" including Tagore International Film Award, World Film Carnival Singapore Award, Indian International Short Film Festival Award, Gangtok International Film Festival, and Calcutta International Cult Film Festival awards.

This brings me to the point that Arunachal Pradesh has the potential for creating a mark in the entertainment industry. Even with several different cultures and traditions followed by the need to communicate with others in a common language, we have the ability to break the stereotype as a whole that North-Easterns cannot speak Hindi, only sing Western songs, follow Western traditions, play the part of Chinese or Nepali or other Asian characters (except Indian) in a movie. That a North-Eastern cannot be an ideal beauty pageant queen/king because they don't fit the suitable Indian standard.

We have several rare gems yet to be discovered, shaped, and given recognition. With active contributions from the people of Arunachal Pradesh and commitment from the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, we can also highlight our state to the world through entertainment and showbiz. Not only will it bring attention to us, but it will also create employment opportunities as well as boost our economy as a whole.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Critical Script or its editor.