Dorjee K Thongun - the Award-Winning 2nd Filmmaker from Arunachal Pradesh

Dorjee K Thongun - 2nd filmmaker of Arunachal Pradesh (photo: Prabal Gogoi)

Born at Rupa Village in the West Kameng district, Dorjee K Thongun is an award winning director and one of the pioneer filmmakers of Arunachal Pradesh. He started his career working with the famous and the first film director of Arunachal, Taro Chatung. With more than eight feature films and quite a few documentaries on different subjects under his belt, Thongun is one of the most respected and immensely popular filmmakers of Arunachal Pradesh.

Born on March 1, 1962, to Tsering Thongun (also known as Deka Raja - a name fondly given by the people of Assam) and Rinchin Dena Khrimey, Thongun along with his brother Rinchin Dorje Thongon did their schooling at Rupa Village. Later he did his graduation from Jawaharlal Nehru College at Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh. After completing his education, Thongun got interested in film making and joined the first filmmaker of Arunachal, Mr Taro Chatung, as an assistant director. He assisted Chatung for two Hindi films - Meri Zindagi and Frontier Students before he started his career as a director and producer.

Thongun directed 6 (six) feature length movies in different regional languages as well as in Hindi and numerous documentaries based on subjects like Buddhism, Dalai Lama, handicrafts and tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. He was awarded the North-East Best Director Award by Prag Cine Awards in 2014. In 2017, he was bestowed with Gold Award - the highest honour for films by Arunachal Pradesh govt.

Presently Thongun is residing at Doimara, a small village, with his family and people of the Sherdukpen community. His wife Dorjee Pema Thondok is an elected ASM (Anchal Samiti Member) for three villages. Domara, a name given by the people of Assam which is locally known as Sra-Hor, was established by Dorjee K Thongun's father, Late Tsering Thongun in 1977, in Khellong Forest Division of Arunachal Pradesh. The village lies in the Foot-Hills just below the famous Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary.

FILMOGRAPHY

Meri Zindagi (Asst. Director & Script Writer) (Dir - Taro Chatung) (1987) - Hindi
Frontier Students (Asst. Director) (Dir - Taro Chatung) (1993) - Hindi
Mein Indian Hum Indian (Director) (2002) - Hindi
Gyotpa (repentance) (Director) (2006) - Tawang Monpa
Leh (destiny) (Director) (2008) - Tawang Monpa
Besmeh (journey) (Director) (2012) - Sherdukpen
Gyumri (Director) (2014) - Tawang Monpa
Monlam (the last rite) (Director) (2018) - Hindi/Monpa

DOCUMENTARIES

Kundun (based on the life of Dalai Lama) (1996) - Hindi
His Holiness (Dalai Lama's journey to West Kameng, Tawang) (1998) - English
The Magic Hand (Handicrafts of Arunachal Pradesh) (1998) - English
Bugun (A small tribe of Arunachal) (1999) - English

Dorjee K Thongun and his wife with the OK! North East Team (photo: Prabal Gogoi)