New Delhi, November 27, 2025 : The Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research (CNESPR), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) hosted a two-day national seminar entitled ‘Locating Marginalities within Margins: Films from North East India’, on 26-27 November 2025. The seminar was sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Sciences Research, Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi.
The inaugural session was held at the Conference Room of CNESPR and attended by participants from various parts of the country.
Prof. Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi, Registrar, JMI, presided over the inaugural session, with Prof. Mohd Muslim Khan, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, JMI, as a special guest. Prof. Sanjoy Hazarika, author, filmmaker and journalist, delivered the keynote address.
The inaugural session began with a welcome address from Prof. M Amarjeet Singh, Director of the CNESPR. Dr. Debajit Bora, Assistant Professor, BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus & co-convener of the seminar, introduced the theme and set the context for the deliberations ahead.
Prof. Mohd. Muslim Khan recalled the early years of Indian cinema where visibility of the North East was limited, referencing to well-known artists like Danny Denzongpa. He noted that the cinematic representation of the region has evolved significantly, gaining national recognition through multiple award winning films such as Crossing Bridges, Headhunter, Axone and others that reflect displacement, cultural transformation and everyday socio-political realities of north eastern communities.
In his keynote address, Prof. Sanjoy Hazarika emphasised the responsibility of media and filmmaking in countering misrepresentation, advocating for ethical narration and deeper engagement with lived realities. He noted that cinema; literature and theatre together serve as enduring repositories of memory, resistance, and imagination. He noted that the location of films in the region including OTT platform underlined the move away from conflict and violence towards rural and urban communities, businesses and film communities
In his presidential remarks, Prof. Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi, Registrar, JMI highlighted the need for mainstream Indian cinema to consciously incorporate local languages, indigenous narratives and regional voices, recommending the inclusion of linguistic representation in films shot in the North East as a meaningful move towards cultural inclusivity and equity.
The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks delivered from Dr. K. Kokho, Assistant Professor, CNESPR, JMI, & convener of the seminar.
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