Imotemjen Ozüküm, a dramatist, composer, singer, and proprietor of Signet Ring Untouched Art & Music, has stepped into the director’s chair with his debut film Lentinaro: A film on premarital sex, now available on BingeBoxx.
Speaking to Mokokchung Times, Ozüküm said the inspiration came from his own family experiences. “If we take a look at our society, particularly in the 80s, premarital sex was very common. Back then, it was not considered much of a sin. Even today, because we are influenced by hook-up culture, we Nagas tend to imitate those trends. Premarital sex is such a common practice, but none of us raises our voice on such issues, so we thought, why not be the ones to talk about it,” he said.
When asked if the film is framed from a religious perspective, Ozüküm explained: “It is a take on both spiritual as well as social views because it affects both. Culturally, families with stepsons often face dilemmas about inheritance. It also causes identity crises for those affected. The inheritance issue mainly concerns men, and regarding this kind of identity crisis, we have to ask, who is responsible for it?”
He added that the narrative revolves around a woman raised in such a family who struggles with low self-esteem and finds it difficult to participate in society. “Especially our society is a ‘name and shame’ society. If you do good, they uplift you, and if you do bad, they’ll shame you and, in some cases, it can even go to the extent of disowning you. These children are the most affected in such scenarios. It’s about where the child really belongs.”
On whether the film offers answers, Ozüküm clarified that it deliberately leaves the question open. “If I offer a solution and it doesn’t work, it’s not right. So, we kept it as an open-ended discussion. It’s a message where we are trying to say, let’s relook into this issue. We don’t know the solution.”
The director, who is also a member of the comedy-sketch group Kazü Küptok, admitted that the filmmaking process was a challenge for the entire crew. “None of us were from the filmmaking discipline. We did not undergo any formal acting training. I had never directed a film of this length, and it was my first experience as a director. Even our cinematographer had never done such a project before. The actors were all new to the camera except Tako, with whom we have worked in Kazü Küptok. It took us exactly one year to complete the project.”
The film is available on Bingeboxx at Rs 99 (SD) and Rs 119 (HD), and Rs 139 (Full HD) on mobile devices. For other formats, such as TV, prices range from Rs 139 (SD), Rs 159 (HD) to Rs 179 (Full HD). “We are planning to reduce the price as a holiday offer during Christmas,” he said, adding that the original soundtrack will be released on YouTube next week.
Ozüküm also mentioned that Lentinaro may be released on YouTube after a few years.