Imphal Talkies Shows To The World How Music Becomes Resistance

There are songs that refuse to let you look away, songs that grab you by the collar and force you to witness what most would rather forget. The music of Imphal Talkies, a band from Manipur, carries the weight of a region that has lived through decades of conflict, violence, and systematic erasure. Their songs don't offer comfort; they offer truth. And in a world that prefers silence over solidarity, that alone is an act of defiance.

Led by founder Akhu Chingangbam, Imphal Talkies has been the unflinching voice of Northeast India for over a decade, blending traditional Manipuri sounds with rock music to create something that feels both ancient and urgent. As they prepared to perform at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) Music Festival in Delhi for their spectacularly successful showcase, which happened recently, we sat down with the band to talk about anger, childhood, and the cost of speaking truth.

The Anger That Never Ages

Songs like "AFSPA Why Don't You Go Fuck Yourself?" and "India, I See Blood In Your Hands" don't pull punches. They're raw, direct, and impossible to misinterpret. When asked about maintaining such an unflinching political stance in an era where most artists sidestep controversy, the band is clear about their position.

"These are old songs released, at least, 10 years ago. I was angrier 10 years ago," Chingangbam reflects. "Yet the songs are relevant till today. Imphal Talkies stands with the oppressed people. We have suffered enough collectively, and there is no way that we shy away from revealing it musically. Our artistic expression derives from what we see and from the air we breathe."

That air has been thick with violence, military presence, and the constant threat of curfews and bandhs. For Imphal Talkies, making music is not a choice between art and activism; it's about documenting a reality that the rest of the country often ignores.

While Manipur has a long history of conflicts and insurgencies, the most recent and intense ethnic conflict began in the state on May 3, 2023, between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. 

The Sound of Nostalgia and Resistance

From their debut album "Tiddim Road" (2009) to "When The Home Is Burning" (2014), the band's sound has evolved alongside its message. The incorporation of the pena, a traditional Manipuri string instrument alongside Western rock elements creates a sonic identity that is uniquely Northeast Indian.

"When we recorded Tiddim Road in 2008, I had hired session musicians which are mostly into rock music. And the songs were mostly guitar-based compositions which went along with drums," Chingangbam explains. "In 2014 when we recorded the album 'When the Home is Burning' I had a full band of 6 members. So, the arrangements of each song were shared ideas of the band members. So, we had Pena, Drums, Cajon, etc."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Imphal Talkies & the Howlers (@imphal_talkies)

The pena holds particular emotional significance. "I love the sound of Pena. It makes me nostalgic. When we were kids, we used to wake up to the sound of pena, which was played far away. But it is gone nowadays. But again, the next album we recorded had no Pena."

"It is an honour for our band to be a part of such an esteemed festival, especially when it is being curated by a legend like TM Krishna. I have huge respect for the man," Chingangbam says when asked about how it feels to perform at the KNMA Music Festival this year. But he's also realistic about the work required. "Forget India, in Manipur we have 35 tribes and communities. And it's been a very difficult task to bridge the gap between the communities. In order to bring an 'understanding between different communities', consistently, there should be some sort of engagement from the grassroots levels."

Lullabies from a War Zone

Perhaps their most internationally acclaimed work is "Lullaby," a song that transforms something tender into an indictment of systemic violence against children in conflict zones. It's a track that forces listeners to confront the reality that childhood in places like Manipur looks nothing like childhood in most of India.

"We grew amidst the violence. In the nineties, in a year, the schools would open only for 5 months at the most due to bandhs, strikes and curfews," Chingangbam shares. "Lullaby is a reflection of my own childhood days. But the situation is getting worse now with this never ending two and half year old ethnic violence in Manipur. We are right now under the President's rule. Children suffered the most in conflict zones. Look at what's happening in Palestine. Thousands of children have been starved and killed there. And the world goes on like nothing is happening. It is a cruel world. We need more songs of such kinds, I believe."

The Price of Truth

Speaking the truth has cost Chingangbam personally from a serious road accident in 2016 to reported police harassment during President Pranab Mukherjee's 2013 visit, which inspired their song "Mr. President Is Coming." When the cost of art becomes physical and personal, what keeps an artist going?

His answer is simple, and sobering: "I have had enough threats. I am very cautious now about what I write and sing."

It's a statement that reveals both resilience and resignation the reality that even in a democracy, some voices pay a price for refusing to be silent. Imphal Talkies continues to make music, but the weight of that music has grown heavier with each threat, each loss, each day that Manipur burns while the world looks away.