Imphal : In the 68th Foundation Day Celebration of the Cultural Forum, Manipur, a premier literary organization recognized by the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi held today, the 17th May 2026 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy Auditorium, Imphal, Meghachandra Kongbam was honouerd with R. K. Bidur Film Critic Award 2026 for his outstanding contribution in creative writing on Manipuri cinema. Annual awards of the Cultural Forum, Manipur in 35 different categories were presented to the distinguished personalities dedicated in different fields of literature, music, drama, cinema and culture.
R. K. Bidur is the pioneer of film society movement in Manipur and a renowned film critic who received the Swarna Kamal for Best Film Critic in National Film Awards 2008 and founder President of Manipur Film and Journalists Association. Meghachandra Kongbam is the first recipient of the R K Bidur Film Critic Award which is introduced this year.
Meghachandra Kongbam is a film critic, film academician and film activist based in Manipur, India who is actively propagating good film culture in the country. Born on December 23, 1957 at Wangkhei Ningthem Pukhri Mapal, he is the eldest son of late Kongbam Iboyaima, the writer of Thoudang(1994), Ningthem Pukhri Amasung Maree Leinaba Waree(2001) and Pakhangphal Leishaphal(2004) and Ngathem Ningol Kongbam Ongbi Ibeyaima, a recipient of Bal Sahitya Purashkar 2010 of Sahitya Akademi and a writer of three children books.
Armed with journalistic skills with special interest in the film medium after obtaining the Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi in 1979 and the knowledge of film appreciation after attending Film Appreciation Course in Film and Television Institute of India, Pune in 1985; Meghachandra Kongbam plunged into the writing on cinema in leading newspapers and journals for four decades.
He contributed articles – in the books- India Film Culture: Indian Cinema (2016) edited by Gautam Kaul, Glimpses of Cinemas from India’s Northeast (2020) edited by Jayanta Madhav Dutta and Manoj Barpujari, Critics on Indian Cinema (2021) edited by M.K. Raghavendra and V. K. Joseph and Cinematic Cartography Mapping the Breadth of Indian Film Landscapes (2025) edited by Rwita Dutta .
An Executive Member of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI)-India, Meghachandra Kongbam received the Swarna Kamal Award for the Best Film Critic in the 63rd National Film Awards 2015.
He is currently the President of Film Society of Manipur established in 1966, the third oldest film society in the North East India. A founder member of the Cine Artistes and Technicians Association, Manipur in 1996 which spearheaded the movement of Manipuri Cinema, he became the President of the Association from 1998 to 2002 for two consecutive terms. He was also founder member of the Manipur Film Journalists and Critics Association in 2000.
He is associated with many literary and cultural organizations and takes part in different literary and cultural events. An executive member of the Naharol Sahitya Premi Samiti, he is a member of Editorial Board of the quarterly Manipuri Journal – Wakhal of the Samiti.
He served as Jury Member at the 23rd International Film Festival of Kerala (07-13 December) in 2018, the 4th Kautik International Film Festival (19 -25 December) in 2020 as Jury chairman, the 16th International Film Festival of Thrissur (20-25 March) in 2021, the 6th Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (24-30 April) in 2022, the 1st World Film Festival Kolkata (20-25 Sept) in 2022, the 8th Jaffna International Film Festival (02-08 January) in 2023, the 23rd New York Indian Film Festival (11-14 May) in 2023, the 7th Chalachitram National Film Festival (8-9 September) in 2023. The 15th Bengaluru International Film Festival (29 February- 7 March) in 2024, the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction and Animation (15-21 June) in 2024, and the 12th Duhok International Film Festival, Kurdistan Autonomous Region, Iraq (6-16 December) 2025.
He was one of the speakers of the international level Round Table Discussion on the topic- Beyond the Thumb- Role of Film Critic: A Gate Keeper, An Influencer or Something Else held on November 26 in Goa during the 56th International Film Festival of India 2025 in Goa.
As a media practitioner, he joined the Department of Information and Public Relations Government of Manipur as District Information Officer in 1981 and retired as Director in 2018. He authored a comprehensive book on the cinema of Manipur titled Manipuri Cinema in 2021.
