This 2016 national award for the Best Film on Social Issues was bagged by Chennai groomed Meena Longjam for her movie 'Autodriver', about the struggles of a female auto driver in Imphal and with a touch of romance, pathos and tragedy, the documentary follows the life of Laibi, a mother of two teenage boys.


Meena Longjam has told that despite Manipur having a history of strong women in politics, education and sports the likes of Mary Kom, Irom Chanu Sharmila, you don't see too many blue collar women workers.


Her shooting difficulties were heightened by the economic blockade in Imphal, when the number of days affected by the strikes increased to 165 days in 2014 from 103 days in 2013. Though the shoot took her crew only four months, Meena had to follow her subject for almost two and a half years before Laibi was comfortable with the idea of being filmed.


Meena has told that Chennai is her second home and was happy when her film, which has had multiple screenings in Imphal, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kochi, other cities and Kathmandu in Nepal, was shown in Chennai in November during the IndiEarth XChange 2015 Film Festival.


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