Tribal Film Wins National Award, Honors Santhal Roots

Filmmaker Ravi Raj Murmu recently received the Best Debut Director (Non-Feature) award at the 72nd National Film Awards for his 12-minute Santali film 'Angen'. The recognition from President Droupadi Murmu held special significance as both Murmu and the President are members of the Santhal community. Murmu described the President's words of encouragement as "very special." Murmu's journey began in a village in East Singhbhum, and after studying mass communication and video production, he pursued a master's in film editing at FTII, Pune. It was during his FTII studies that 'Angen' was conceived, using symbolism to depict a cowherd boy's disconnection from his roots and identity. The film, inspired by literary works, faced initial rejections but was eventually completed in 2023 with students through a workshop format. The project was largely supported by voluntary contributions from his FTII batchmates, with a modest expenditure of approximately Rs 2 lakh for post-production. Following its success at various film festivals, 'Angen' has brought national attention to Jharkhand's tribal heritage. Murmu has dedicated the award to the Santhal community and envisions developing the short film into a feature-length project.