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Jamshedpur-based filmmaker wins Nat’l Film Award for best debut director
Jamshedpur-based 34-year-old filmmaker Ravi Raj Murmu was on cloud nine on Sunday as he became the second only tribal filmmaker from Jharkhand to win the prestigious 72nd National Film Award as Best Debut Director for his 12-minute short film ‘Angen’ (Invisible), fetching rich tributes from CM Hemant Soren
Jamshedpur-based 34-year-old filmmaker Ravi Raj Murmu was on cloud nine on Sunday as he became the second only tribal filmmaker from Jharkhand to win the prestigious 72nd National Film Award as Best Debut Director for his 12-minute short film ‘Angen’ (Invisible), fetching rich tributes from CM Hemant Soren.
“I am very happy. It’s a dream of every filmmaker to have national recognition. For me this is the first step towards fulfilling my dream of making good films, storytelling on screen of tribal folklore. I never thought, didn’t expect that ‘Angen’ will bring me National Film Award because it was made playfully with my students from Karim City College in Jamshedpur when I was teaching them nitty gritty of filmmaking in 2024. They insisted on showing how to make film and we went to nearby nature trails and shot it,” Murmu told HT on Sunday over the phone from Mumbai.
“This award will give me much-needed recognition - the launching pad to make feature films. It’s very difficult to get producers, investment and institutional support for films in Santhali or any other tribal language. ‘Angen’ is a shorter version of my project for a longer feature film version of it, which will require at least ₹10-15 crore. I have been writing the script for the longer version. I am also planning a feature film using all the tribal languages - Santhali, Ho, Mundari etc - telling their own stories and interaction with each other,” added Murmu.
Murmu took his initial mass communication degree from Karim City College and later did graduation in film editing from Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Besides ‘Angen’ (2024), he is known for ‘Sundi’ (2026) and ‘Burbokor Khel’ (Games of Fool) in 2022.
Murmu said ‘Angen’ was a folktale that he and most tribals had heard from their grandparents in childhood.
“It is a story of a village shepherd boy who plays flute. His beautiful music attracts ‘seven sisters’ - deities invisible present in farmland, near ponds, village muddy roads. The deities take the boy to heaven but when he wants to return he finds no way. He finds only ponds and dives into one to come out of another. This story has a political and philosophical message. I have tried to metaphorically show the deities as ‘development’ following which blindly is taking us to a point of no return. It’s open ended for the audience to relate and interpret,” said Murmu.
Meanwhile, CM Hemant Soren on Sunday extended his heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Murmu on receiving the award.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Ravi Raj Murmu on this remarkable achievement. Winning the prestigious National Film Award is not only a personal milestone for him but also a matter of immense pride for the people of Jharkhand and the entire Santhali speaking people . Through ‘Angen’, he has showcased the richness of Santhali language, culture, and storytelling on the national stage,” said Soren in his message.
The CM further said this honour reflected the immense creative talent emerging from Jharkhand and reinforced the state’s growing identity as a vibrant centre of indigenous art, culture, and cinema.
He expressed confidence that Murmu’s achievement would inspire young filmmakers and artists across Jharkhand to preserve and promote the state’s rich cultural heritage through meaningful cinema.
