NOKPOKLIBA - The Naga Magician

"Nokpoblika" - A film I did for The Children's Film Society of India (CFSI). It is based on a folktale from Nagaland, a predominantly tribal state from the north east of India, which has a rich folk lore culture (and also the place of my origin). Storms (the musician) and I had recorded all the songs live in Nagaland (one hell of a trip!).
"Nokpokliba" is my adaptation into film, a story from the book on “The Ao Nagas†by J.P. Mills. Nopokliba, the title character, is the awesome seer magician with super natural powers, who comes to the rescue of his people from a rogue that attempts to swindle them.
The text of this story appealed to me, particularly from the perspective of what I could visually create out of it. Making this film was also a way for me to personally preserve a snippet of the myriad stories that make up the Naga oral tradition, which is degenerating.
The film won the 54th National Film Award for Best Animation and Direction in 2007.