The Khasi film ‘Iewduh’ has continued to win laurels as it bagged two Awards at the 67th National Film Awards, after shining at the international level earlier.
The film once again brought glory to Meghalaya when it was named the ‘Best Khasi Film’, as the winners were announced at New Delhi on March 22, 2021.
‘Iewduh’ also picked up the award for ‘Best Sound Recording’, making it the first film from the North East region to receive the top award in this category.
The film hit the screens on November 15, 2019, when it was released in Shillong, Guwahati, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Kolkata. It was the first Khasi film to have been released simultaneously outside Shillong.
On making a film in Khasi language, the two-time National Award winning filmmaker Shankar Lall Goenka said, “I was born and brought up in Shillong, which is my hometown. Through films, I want to give it back to the society and the people of Meghalaya. That is the reason I made ‘Iewduh’.”
Pradip Kurbah, Director, ‘Iewduh’, two times National Award winner, had won the prestigious Kim Ji-seok Award at the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea in October, 2019.
The film had its world premiere at the BIFF. This was a milestone for Meghalaya film industry as ‘Iewduh’ was the first film from the state to enter the BIFF, an important destination for Asian filmmakers.
Cinematographer Pradip Daimary of ‘Iewduh’ was officially selected for the Asian Cinematography Awards, which were held in Manila, Philippines, in February, 2020. ‘Iewduh’ was also screened during this two-day festival there and competed for the Golden Eagle Award.
The film premiered in India at the 21st Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in October, 2019.
It was also selected in the Indian Panorama at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, for screening.
‘Iewduh’, also known as Barabazar, is one of the oldest and largest daily markets in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. Made under the banner of Shiven Arts, the film talks about the daily lives of the people in the market.