BATTLEFIELD: One of India’s Most Compelling Anti-War Films in Recent Times Emerges from Manipur

Imphal: History usually remembers wars through battles, generals, and political victories. The Second World War, fought between the Axis and Allied powers from 1939 to 1945, has been extensively documented and narrated. Yet, beyond the familiar accounts of military campaigns and imperial ambitions, the consequences endured by ordinary people—and the generations that followed—often remain at the margins of historical memory.

Image: A remnant of wartime ordnance rediscovered by the WWII Imphal Campaign Foundation

Borun Thokchom’s deeply researched documentary revisits the enduring consequences of World War II, asking a question history often leaves unanswered: who continues to pay the price for someone else’s war?

These are the questions that give BATTLEFIELD, a documentary by filmmaker Borun Thokchom, its significance. Scheduled for its Manipur premiere at MSFDS’s Palace Auditorium on 2 October, the International Day of Non-Violence, the film examines the enduring impact of World War II on Manipur and its people. In doing so, it emerges as one of the most compelling anti-war films to come out of Northeast India in recent times, and a significant work within contemporary Indian documentary cinema.

The Second World War is a familiar chapter in global history. Manipur, however, has often been remembered primarily as a theatre of the Burma Campaign and the Japanese advance into India, rather than through the experiences of its own people. BATTLEFIELD seeks to shift that perspective, looking beyond military history to the lives and communities shaped by a war fought in the name of competing imperial powers.

Image: Borun Thokchom during the shooting of his Battlefield

This is an ambitious undertaking, and much of the credit belongs to Borun Thokchom, a musician, broadcast journalist and National Film Award-winning nonfiction filmmaker. His debut documentary, The Silent Poet, on Irom Sharmila, received the National Film Award for Best Debut Film in the Non-Fiction category. His subsequent documentary, I Rise, explored the life of international boxer Laishram Sarita Devi.

With BATTLEFIELD, Thokchom turns to a subject requiring extensive research and historical engagement. He revealed that the film took approximately 13 years to complete—an unusually long commitment for a documentary project

Image: Borun Thokchom spent time in the home of one of the survivors of the Battle of Imphal of the WWII

“For me, BATTLEFIELD is not merely a documentary film; it is also the outcome of extensive research and dedication to tell Manipur’s side of the story as against the British or Japanese imperialist forces,” Thokchom said.

That sustained engagement gives the film a foundation beyond the conventional retelling of wartime events. It brings attention to a part of Manipur’s history that deserves wider discussion and could serve as a useful reference for students, researchers and future generations seeking to understand the region’s post-war experience.

Image: WWII relics recovered during excavations

At approximately 80 minutes and 36 seconds, BATTLEFIELD is considerably longer than the short and mid-length documentaries that have traditionally characterised much of Manipur’s nonfiction film production. Yet its length does not weigh down the viewing experience.

The film’s carefully structured sequences, engaging narrative progression and combination of historical inquiry with emotional resonance sustain the audience’s attention. Its extended duration allows the subject to unfold without losing its sense of purpose.

What stays with the viewer is not simply a recollection of wartime events, but the unsettling realisation that the consequences of war can outlive the conflict itself. BATTLEFIELD’s anti-war sentiment emerges not merely through the spectacle of destruction, but through its attention to the human cost of decisions made by powerful forces elsewhere. The film invites us to consider the lives disrupted, the histories overlooked and the consequences carried across generations.

The production of BATTLEFIELD is also noteworthy for the support it has received from collaborators outside the conventional film industry. Alongside Thokchom as producer, the project has been supported by Manjoy Lourembam, a Manipuri IT consultant based in Bengaluru, Vishwamitra Universals, and Radheshyam Oinam of Network Services, Imphal, as co-producers.

Their involvement reflects a willingness among individuals from different professional backgrounds to invest in meaningful Manipuri stories. Such support is important in a region where filmmakers often work with limited resources but carry stories of considerable cultural and historical value.

The film’s journey also highlights the importance of institutional support. BATTLEFIELD was nurtured and developed through Imphal Documentor 2022, organised by the Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS) in collaboration with Documentary Resource Initiative (DRI), Kolkata. The project subsequently reached the DocEdge pitching forum, opening a pathway into the wider documentary filmmaking ecosystem

It was later officially selected for the Indian Panorama at the International Film Festival of India in 2025 and the Mumbai International Film Festival of Shorts, Documentary and Animation in 2026. This journey demonstrates how a film rooted in a regional experience can benefit from development platforms, professional engagement, and opportunities to present its vision beyond its immediate surroundings.

It also points to the value of MSFDS’s efforts towards project incubation and mentorship laboratories. If Manipuri cinema is to reach wider audiences, filmmakers need more than production support. They need spaces where ideas can be nurtured, challenged, and refined while retaining their artistic independence and local identity.

Image: A moment from the excavations in the hills of Manipur

BATTLEFIELD offers a meaningful example of what such an ecosystem can help achieve. As the film prepares for its Manipur premiere, one hopes it will reach audiences willing to look beyond familiar accounts of war and listen to the experiences of those who lived through its consequences.

At a time when the world continues to witness conflict, displacement and the ambitions of powerful states, BATTLEFIELD’s questions carry a resonance that extends beyond its historical setting. Its story is rooted in Manipur, but its concerns are universal.

Writer: Nepram Tombi Meitei is a Manipur-based journalist reporting from the ground since 1999, committed to responsible journalism and public welfare.

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