Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi (6 February 1922 – 17 January 2011)[1] was one of the most prominent writers from Manipur.[2] She was notable for bridging the two worlds of ancient royalty and modern art. Born a princess into palace life, which she lovingly recalled in a series of her late essays, she gained worldwide recognition as a novelist and a writer of short stories, essays, plays and award-winning screenplays, lyrics and ballet scripts. She received the Padma Shri in 1976. Her 1976 historical novel Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1979.[3] The book's English translation, ThePrincess and the Political Agent, was published in 2020 as a Penguin Modern Classic by Penguin Random House India.[4][5]
M.K. Binodini Devi wrote under the mononym Binodini.
Life
Devi was the youngest child born to Sir Maharaja Churachand Singh, KCSI, CBE, of the kingdom of Manipur and his Queen (Leimaren) Maharani Dhanamanjuri Devi on 6 February 1922[6][2][7][8][9] and was known by the name Sana Wangol or Wangolsana in the royal palace. M.K. Binodini Devi was the first woman graduate in Manipur.
She married Dr. Laifungbam Nanda Babu Roy, FRCS,[10][11] on 26 January 1950 and they had two sons: L. Debabrata Roy and L. Somi Roy.[12]
Imasi: The Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi Foundation was established in Imphal, Manipur by her son, L. Somi Roy and the writer's close friends and associates. Its stated goal is to preserve, protect and promote the legacy of M.K. Binodini Devi.[16]
Career
Literature
M.K. Binodini Devi wrote her first short story, called Imaton, while still a student at Tamphasana Girls High School.
"My first short story was called Imaton. It is about a relationship between a young man and his young stepmother. I liked it immensely as a good story. So, I showed it to my teacher, Oja Salam Tombi, who also happened to be my tutor. Contrary to my expectation, he gave me a sound scolding for writing it. He said it was unbecoming of me to write such an immoral adult story."[17]
Her first book was Nunggairakta Chandramukhi (ꯅꯨꯡꯒꯥꯏꯔꯛꯇ ꯆꯟꯗꯔꯥꯃꯨꯈꯤ), a collection of 19 short stories published in 1965, for which she was awarded the Jamini Sundar Guha Gold Medal.[17][18] She received a Sahitya Akademi Award in 1979 for her magnum opus Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi. The historical novel is about her aunt Princess Sanatombi and Colonel Henry Maxwell, the political agent of Manipur and is set around the time of Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891.
Binodini wrote the play Asangba Nongjabi (Crimson Rainclouds, Thema Books, 2012) (ꯑꯁꯪꯕ ꯅꯣꯡꯖꯥꯕꯤ), adapting it for the stage from her radio play. She wrote 15 radio plays which are published in the collection, Khonjel Leela Binodinigi (ꯈꯣꯟꯖꯦꯜ ꯂꯤꯂꯥ ꯕꯤꯅꯣꯗꯤꯅꯤꯒꯤ) (Imasi Publications, 2016). She translated Ebong Indrajit, a notable Bangla-language play by Badal Sircar.
Her last book was a volume of memoir essays about life in the royal palace, titled Churachand Maharajgi Imung (ꯆꯨꯔꯥꯆꯥꯟꯗ ꯃꯥꯍꯥꯔꯥꯖꯒꯤ ꯏꯃꯨꯡ) (The Maharaja's Household: A Daughter's Memories of Her Father, Zubaan 2015) and published in 2008.[19]
In 1981, Aribam Syam Sharma's film Imagi Ningthem (My Son, My Precious, Cinewave 1981) based on her screenplay adapted from her radioplay won the Montgolfiere Grand Prix at Nantes in France.[21][22] She wrote the original screenplay of Ishanou (Aribam Syam Sharma, 1990), that was selected for Un Certain Regard in the 1991 Cannes film festival. It was later recognised as a Cannes Classic in May 2023. She scripted the film version of the Manipuri ballet called Sangai: The Dancing Deer of Manipur by Aribam Syam Sharma that was selected as the Outstanding Film of the Year Award for 1991 by the British Film Institute (BFI).
Many of her screenplays won national and state film awards in India, including multiple awards for Olangthagee Wangmadasu and the Best Story Award at the 9th Manipur State Film Awards for the movie, Nangna Kappa Pakchade in 2014, awarded posthumously.
Songs
Devi wrote 68 songs and translated 28 Rabindra Sangeet into Manipuri. These were published in Isei Binodinigi (ꯏꯁꯩ ꯕꯤꯅꯣꯗꯤꯅꯤꯒꯤ) by Imasi Publications in 2014.[23] She wrote lyrics for a song titled Lapna Lotna Leiyu (ꯂꯥꯞꯅ ꯂꯣꯠꯅ ꯂꯩꯌꯨ) for the first Manipuri feature film Matamgi Manipur (ꯃꯇꯝꯒꯤ ꯃꯅꯤꯄꯨꯔ) (1973). Many of her songs are still sung today and are classics of contemporary Manipuri song. They were all performed by artistes of Roop Raag (ꯔꯨꯞ ꯔꯥꯒ) and were broadcast over All India Radio, Imphal.
Patriotic songs written by her such as "Kannada Sinnani Phiral Ase" (ꯀꯟꯅꯥꯗ ꯁꯤꯟꯅꯅꯤ ꯐꯤꯔꯥꯜ ꯑꯁꯦ), "Sukna Mamla Guha Nungda" (ꯁꯨꯛꯅ ꯃꯝꯂ ꯒꯨꯍꯥ ꯅꯨꯡꯗ) and Lairabini Hainei Ima Nangbu Mina (ꯂꯥꯏꯔꯕꯤꯅꯤ ꯍꯥꯏꯅꯩ ꯏꯃꯥ ꯅꯪꯕꯨ ꯃꯤꯅ) became anthems of the Great June Uprising on 18 June 2001.[24] It was on the occasion of which that she famously returned her Padma Shri that was awarded to her by the Government of India in 1976.[25]
Dance
Devi wrote the scripts for six modern Manipuri ballets. They were produced by the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy (JNMDA) where she served as Secretary for 11 years.[26] They include Keibul Lamjao (ꯀꯩꯕꯨꯜ ꯂꯝꯖꯥꯎ) and Loktak Isei (ꯂꯣꯛꯇꯥꯛ ꯏꯁꯩ).[27]
"The Loktak lake is a rich depository of several legendary tales. There is a big tradition, a huge cultural tradition associated with the lake. There has been so many literature on the Loktak, inspired by its beauty and charm, of its legends and folktales. That is why I have tried to write the ballet Loktak Eshei for the Jawaharlal Nehru Dance Academy."[17]
They use both classical Manipuri Dance and folk styles to tell stories based on Manipuri folklore. These ecological ballets created environmental awareness and public interest in wildlife preservation in Manipur. The film version of her ballet Keibul Lamjao's, titled Sangai: The Dancing Deer of Manipur, was produced by Sangeet Natak Akademi.[28]
In 1976, Devi led a Manipuri dance troupe to perform at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC for the celebration of the US Bicentennial.[29] The troupe also toured Mexico, Canada and Europe. In 2003, she wrote Ho Mexico! Lamkoi Wari (ꯍꯣ ꯃꯦꯛꯁꯤꯀꯣ! ꯂꯝꯀꯣꯏ ꯋꯥꯔꯤ) (O Mexico! Travel Tales), a series of travel essays about the dance tour.[21]
Essays and social activism
Devi used her literature to advocate for feminist and environmental causes. Her essay Thoibido Warouhoui (ꯊꯣꯏꯕꯤꯗꯣ ꯋꯥꯔꯧꯍꯧꯏ) (The Pique of the Doe) (1971), was her basis for her ballet Keibul Lamjao. They expressed a profound admiration for wildlife and an earnest concern for the environment.
"I felt ashamed to ride in the presence of the animals. I got off and walked down the hill. The car followed me, stupidly."[30]
The essay along with others Ahong Yumna Hyri (ꯑꯍꯣꯡ ꯌꯨꯝꯅ ꯍꯥꯏꯔꯤ) (The Ancestral Home Speaks to Me) and Darjeeling Chatngeida (ꯗꯥꯔꯖꯤꯂꯤꯡ ꯆꯠꯉꯩꯗ) (Upon a Visit to Darjeeling),[30] most of them were published in Manipuri newspapers like Poknapham (ꯄꯣꯛꯅꯐꯝ) and Naharolgi Thoudang (ꯅꯥꯍꯥꯔꯣꯜꯒꯤ ꯊꯧꯗꯥꯡ).
"A woman of letters, she contributes regularly to the local dailies such as Poknapham, Naharolgi Thoudang and the Imphal Free Press with letters, stories, articles and commentaries of current social and political issues in Manipur."[31]
Her patriotic songs including "Kannada Sinnani Phiral Ase" and "Lairabini Hainei Ima Nangse Mina" are popular in Manipur today.[31] In October 2001, she founded LEIKOL (Leima Khorjei Kol) (ꯂꯩꯃ ꯈꯣꯔꯖꯩ ꯀꯣꯜ), a women's writers' circle.[32][12] In 1975, she introduced microfinancing for market women and was the founding chairman of the Manipur Women's Cooperative Bank Ltd.[33]
She was elected to the Manipur Assembly in 1951.
Bibliography
Publications (in Manipuri)
Nunggairakta Chandramukhi (Chrysanthemum in Gravel, 1965), short stories
Asangba Nongjabi (Crimson Rainclouds, 1966), plays
My Son, My Precious (Imagi Ningthem). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Cinewave, Calcutta 1981
One Answer (Paokhum Ama). Cinewave, Calcutta 1982
My Little Friend (Imphal TurelgiItamacha). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Sahitya Akademi anthology. New Delhi 2005
A String of Beads (Charik Pareng, in The Grasshopper and Other Stories) Cambridge University Press, New Delhi 2011
Crimson Rainclouds (Asangba Nongjabi). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Thema Books, Calcutta 2012
Sanatombi (Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi). Translated into Assamese by Indramani Rajkumar; Sahitya Akademi, 2012
The Maharaja’s Household: A Daughter’s Memories of Her Father (Churachandgi Maharajgi Imung). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Zubaan Books, 2015
Girls Hostel (Sri Bhavana). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Viswabharati Quarterly, 2018; Crafting the World, Zubaan Books, 2019
The Princess and the Political Agent (Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Penguin Modern Classics, Penguin Random House India, 2020
Nil Sandhyar Agun Megh (Asangba Nongjabi and Sri Bhavana). Translation into Bangla by Minati Ghosh and L. Somi Roy, Bhasha Samsad, 2022)
Biography
Binodini: A Writer’s Life, Film by Aribam Syam Sharma, Sahitya Akademi, 2003, 26 min.
MK Binodini Devi, L. Somi Roy, Sahitya Akademi, Makers of Indian Literature series, 2022
