Director : Meren Imchen
Year of Production : 2006
Duration : 8 Minutes 30 Seconds
Version : 35 mm / Hindi.

Synopsis :

This film is based on a folk tale from Nagaland. It’s the story about Nokpokliba, a magician, who brings justice to his people through his magic.

There was once an evil merchant who cheated the naga people from the hills for their cotton. He would trade his cows in exchange for their cotton. But the cow he used to trade was actually his own son, who was always transformed, by use of magic, when the farmers came to trade. So when the farmers returned home with the cow, it would turn into different animals and run away.

They finally go to Nokpokliba for help. He helps the farmers get their cows back by countering the merchant’s magic with his own. He turns dried leaves into cotton and trades with the merchant.

When the merchant finds out he has been cheated he turns his son, from a cow, into a deer. Nokpokliba then turns into a dog and starts chasing. Seeing his son (the deer) in danger, the merchant turns it into three grains of rice. Nokpokliba seeing this turns into a dove but manages to eat only two out of the tree grains of rice. As a result the merchant’s powers are weakened and therefore could not bring his son back to life. He avenges for his son’s death by turning himself into a hawk and chases to kill the dove (nokpokliba). Nokpokliba leads him towards a huge pit of fire where the evil merchant meets his end. As a result his spell is broken and all the nagas who are cheated get their cows back.