National Award-winning film ‘Semkhor’ in legal soup for alleged misrepresentation of Dimasa culture

An FIR has been lodged against the film’s director Aimee Baruah for allegedly ‘misrepresenting’ Dimasa culture and perpetuating stereotypes against the community

The director of the 2021 Dimasa-language movie Semkhor, Aimee Baruah, has landed in legal trouble after an FIR was lodged against her by All Dimasa Students’ Union ex-president Mohendra Kemprai for allegedly ‘misrepresenting’ Dimasa culture and perpetuating stereotypes against the community.

The movie has won a slew of awards including the Best Actress category at Toronto International Women Film Festival (2021) and the Special Audience award in the 20 th Dhaka International Film Festival Award (2022). Recently, in the 68 th National Film Awards, Semkhor won under two categories: Special Jury mention and Best Feature Film in Dimasa.

Based on the traditions and livelihood of the ‘Semsas’, a Dimasa community living in the remote area of the Semkhor region in the Dima Hasao district in Assam, Semkhor has drawn the ire of the Dimasa community with many criticising the movie for a stereotypical representation of the Dimasas.

The Dimasa Mothers’ Association has vehemently condemned the depiction of female infanticide by the Semsas in Semkhor, calling it ‘totally untrue and factually incorrect’. In a press note released by the Association, they said that fictional stories against indigenous tribes mustn’t be propagated as factual practices of the Dimasa community. “Such propaganda is disgraceful and may diminish the honour of the indigenous tribes of Assam,” the press note stated.

The All Dimasa Women Welfare Society has expressed ‘strong resentment’ against the movie, calling it a ‘totally wrong projection of the Dimasa customs and the people of Semkhor village’. Objecting to the portrayal of women in Semkhor, the Society said that Ms. Baruah has lied about the practices and customs of the people of Semkhor village, thereby creating a wrong image of the Semsas.

The All Dimasa Students’ Union (ADSU), has also criticised the movie and called out the alleged derogatory nature of Semkhor. Calling the movie a ‘fallacious presentation,’ ADSU condemned the movie for hurting the sentiments of the Dimasa community. “Such ill portrayal of Dimasa’s rich culture and heritage is an attack on our identity and it is aimed to cause emotional injury to our community,” the ADSU said.

The Dimasa Students’ Union Delhi has demanded an apology from the filmmakers and has asked to further ban the screening of the movie. Semkhor has reduced the rich history of the Semkhors, and reduced it to exaggerate, sensationalise, and diverge from the existing practices, the Union said. “This is a potentially dangerous exercise of creative liberties involving the overlooking of certain social responsibilites on the part of the artists,” the press note read.