Bringing alive the decisive battles fought in the North East in 1944 is Utpal Borpujaris documentary ‘Memories of a Forgotten War, which was screened as part of the Indian Panorama at the ongoing 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) at Goa on Wednesday.
The 109 minute feature-length documentary film seeks to tell the tales of valour of those soldiers and of the locals who participated or witnessed those battles.
‘Memories of a Forgotten War’ chronicles the events when Japanese troops advanced on British India from the then Burma, but were pushed back by the Allied forces in the Battles of Kohima and Imphal.
“It is a film that deals with the subject not as a military one but as one that impacted the lives of many individuals in many ways,” said Borpujari in a statement.
Borpujari’s account packs interviews with war veterans and the locals who experienced the conflict. Most of the war veterans are aged over 90 years and are based in UK and Japan.
The documentary also focus on the role of the Indian National Army led by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, which was fighting on the Japanese side.
“On the one hand, you have the Japanese worshipping Netaji in the Runkoji temple in Tokyo and there is the other point of view of the British soldier who says that it is sad that the INA was fighting Indian soldiers,” Borpujari added.
The film employs informal interview format giving a feel of someone narrating his experience or a story, says a statement.
