IMPHAL: After being slapped with a three-year ban from acting and attending public events for taking part in a beauty pageant, Manipuri actor-cum-model Soma Laishram is not taking this restriction lying down.
In a video posted on social media on Wednesday, a resolute Laishram expressed her shock and dismay over the development. She asserted, “I strongly oppose this directive. As an artist and a social influencer, I have every right to speak up wherever I want to and whenever it is needed… I have not done anything against my state and my motherland.”
The 31-year-old actor, who has appeared in over 100 Manipuri films, further clarified her intentions behind her participation in the event, saying, “When I was called to represent Manipur in the Northeast festival as a show stopper, I only went with the intention of supporting my state and spreading awareness about the reason behind the violence among the thousands of people present there.”
Laishram’s ban has sparked widespread condemnation from the public and various film associations. Several organisation in the state’s film industry, have deemed such interference as unfortunate and uncalled for.
Earlier on September 18, Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL), a Meitei community body in Imphal, slapped a three-year ban on the actor for being a show-stopper in a beauty pageant during the North East Festival in New Delhi on September 16.
KKL, in a press statement on Monday, revealed that concerted efforts were made to dissuade the actor from taking part in the beauty pageant but in vain. Both the Film Forum Manipur and the Film Actors Guild Manipur had jointly appealed to her, highlighting the dire circumstances Manipur is facing. However, Soma Laishram chose to disregard these appeals, inciting outrage within the community, the statement read.
The Meitei body also called upon other significant organisations and Meira Paibis to support this decisive move, highlighting the gravity of the situation and the commitment to safeguard Manipur’s cultural heritage during this critical hour.
