Tanyabi Firti - First Chakma Feature Film in India

Chakma Film Tanyabi Firti

Tanyabi Firti, released in 2002, was the first Chakma feature film made in India. It was directed by famous Bengali film director Satarupa Sanyal. The leading cast in the film were Rita Chakma, Pranjal Roy, Pulak Khisa, Mrinal Kanti Chakma etc.

In July 2005, Tanyabi Firti was premiered in Osians Festival of Asian Cinema along with other films from various industries.

Tanyabi is the character of a beautiful but tragic heroine who was prevented from marrying her love Punangchan and forced to marry a widower. She is said to have gone insane with sorrow and cried so much that her tears formed the oxbow lake, Tanyabir Firti - meaning "Tanyabi's Return", which is now submerged under Kaptai Lake.

Mor Thengari - First Chakma Feature Film in Bangladesh

Chakma Film Mor Thengari (My Bicycle)

Mor Thengari - First Chakma feature film made in Bangladesh

Alternatively called in English as My Bicycle, it is a Chakma feature film directed by Aung Rakhine which centres around the indigenous people, particularly Chakmas in Bangladesh. It was premiered on 5th December, 2014 at the Shawkat Osman Auditorium at the Central Public Library, Dhaka in presence of Chakma king Debashish Roy, who was present at the programme as the chief guest.

The film was produced by Pandolipi Karkhana, which managed to find 30 financiers and the shooting finally began in 2012. Komol Moni Chakma and Indira Chakma portray as the couple in the story. It was entirely shot in Rangamati and Bandarban, with 63 minute long depicting exquisite beauty of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. At present, the director is trying to send the film to various international film festivals.

Though the director belongs to the Rakhine community, he believes that “it’s necessary to focus on the Chakma community as they struggled more than any other indigenous groups of the country (Bangladesh).”

You can watch Mor Thengari on YouTube at the following link (uploaded by Mohammed Romel):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKJPfEyaAAs