Tripura Kokborok film Khaani selected for Tribal Frames Manipur 2026
The crime thriller directed by Ploto Debbarma will be screened at the festival in Imphal.
The Kokborok-language feature film Khaani, directed by Ploto Debbarma, has been selected for screening at Tribal Frames Manipur 2026, according to NENow. The 135-minute crime thriller is set in the fictional village of Khumpuimura in Tripura and was produced by 18 Hills Films.
The plot follows a newly appointed police officer investigating the discovery of dismembered human body parts arranged to resemble the iconography of the Tripuri deity Baba Garia. The film explores human behaviour, violence against women, and social commentary through a mix of suspense and humour.
Festival director Oinam Doren said the film carries forward the legacy of Kokborok-language cinema established by Fr. Joseph Pulinthanath's Yarwng in 2008. Doren stated that presenting the film is about celebrating a new generation of tribal storytellers confident in their own language.
Debbarma, who has a medical background, developed an interest in storytelling through Tripuri folktales. Khaani is his debut feature film, following his work on short films such as Jiboner Prarthona and Graveyard of Dreams.
The film was released in Tripura theatres on October 30, 2026, marking the return of a Kokborok-language feature to commercial theatres in the state after more than a decade. Before its selection for the Manipur festival, it was screened at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival and the first International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir.