If you watch Bollywood (which is why you would be even reading this), you know that the Indian movie Industry is composed of Bollywood ( movies made in Mumbai, usually in Hindi), Sandalwood (movies made in Karnataka, primarily in Kannada, Konakani, or Tullu), Tollywood (movies made in West Bengal, in Bengali), Kollywood (movies usually made in Tamil Nadu, primarily in Tamil). There is of course Bhojpuri cinema (from Uttar Pradesh), Malyalam, Telegu and Punjabi cinema too, all of which are significant regional film industries.
This makes it sound as if movies are being made all over the country, which is true, but I think what is important to note is that the work that receives the most exposure tends to be from Bollywood and Kollywood. Bollwood and Kollywood actors appear in each other's cinema from time to time, and sometimes there are permanent crossovers (Naghma to Kollywood and Bhojpuri films from Bolloywood, Khushbu to Kollywood from Bollywood).
So what's wrong with this picture? Nothing, except that I don't see much representation in Bollywood from the North Eastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland and Mizoram. Of these states, Assam does have a substantial film industry, which shows up sporadically for the national awards, but that's about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Assam
In terms of popular (Bollywood/Kollywood) cinema, I came up with this is the list of popular artists hailing from the North East:
- Kelly Dorji
- Danny Denzongpa
- Udita Goswami
- SD Burman
- Bhupen Hazarika
- Meiyang Chang
- Helen
Danny Sikkim represented! He strategically used his looks to make good- His "different" appearance has been most successful in Bollywood while playing the bad guy or supporting roles. When he has played hero he has failed (though the movies have been bad too; 1977's Abhi to Jee Lein (Lets Live for Now) comes to mind); the most success he has had playing "good" is as the lead actor's friend or benefactor (199s's Khuda Gawah). His Frozen (2007) is one of the most beautiful movies in recent times, and has gathered a handful of awards in Internal festivals. With all his talent, he has never been accepted as a lead.
Udita Meghalaya represented! She doesn't look very North Eastern to begin with, and I wonder if this fact made her Bollywood debut easier to the casting directors. She is a bad actor, so I really don't care if she does many movies.
SD Burman Tripura represented! He is so inspirational- the 2nd son of the king of Tripura, he withdrew from all matters of state so that he could concentrate on his music. with that kind of focus, it is no wonder that he did make good.
Bhupen Hazarika Assam represented! He is one of the reasons for this article. despite his stellar music, his innings in Bollywood have been short - which may largely due to the incestuous ways of the film industry. An outsider, no matter how nationally lauded he may be, tends to get the short end of the stick unless he makes influential friends. Mr Hazarika has relatively low visibility in cinematic music, nationally and internationally. Maybe he doesn't care- he has enough of an audience for his non-cinematic albums. But all artists appreciate appreciation.
Kelly Dorji is Bhutanese by origin. Ramp model and super cute, and seems to be working on a career centered primarily in Kollywood.
Meiyang Chang is Chinese by extraction, but satisfies our "different" appearance criteria, and is the second reason for this post. He is super cute, and yet, I don't see him being cast in a lead role, while lots of rubbish actors keep getting casted on a daily basis. PLUS, he is a blogger too http://buddhasoliloques.blogspot.com
Helen: She is French-Burmese, and such a talent, that years after she has officially stopped acting and dancing, she STILL is called back often. Cant say enough about her, so will just stop.[sigh]
I get so frustrated. . I couldn't think of any others; feel free to let me know who I am missing. I do know that I am missing all the supporting actors who play random roles- especially the ones playing Nepalese cooks/guards/ what-not. I was looking for popular artists, and it seems to me the North East is very ill represented on a national level.
There has to be more talent out there than this. This cannot be it. And this dearth isn't just in artists from that part of the world- it is also the characters in films: The last time we had character from the mountains/North East in a "hit" film was Aamir in Three Idiots, and he didn't look it.
One of the reasons offered up to explain the dearth of North Eastern actors in mainstream cinema is that they look different. There- I wrote it. Its whispered about, no one talks about it, and the idea is refuted by giving examples of Danny, Udita and Helen. BUT they look beautiful, I protest-; besides, Bollywood has never really stopped "different" looking people- SRK was called different when he started, and look where he is now. Nope, not buying that one.
I cannot believe that there are so few talented folks in the North East either, which, believe it or not, I have read about online- utter rubbish. What may be a plausible culprit is the state of unrest in that part of the country- but then, there is unrest all over. That cannot stop talent. Or can it?
Opinions, people?
Dev is so changed by Bina's words that he heads right back to Zangooraa (Jayant), who is dressed in weird-Roman-style skirts, cowboy boots and jodhpurs- go figure. 
Rather than call him out on his sartorial sense, Dev attempts to persuade Zangoora to change his ways, and when Zangoora scoffs, Dev simply leaves behind his helmet and insignia, and takes off. 
Once this is done, we finally meet up with the REAL star of the movie, the probable reason why this run-of-the-mill caper was a "super"hit- Zippy the chimpanzee. Zippy is in jail (?!)....
...where he meets up and befriends Agha... 
Zippy is downright adorable and has a parallel story line of his own, riding over Agha's parallel comic love story. More on this later, since our other hero is being introduced in a scene clearly reflecting cruelty to animals. Dilip plays a villager (from that one and only village where Bina lives), and we first meet him when he is having his pet ram fight another. I don't approve.
The intro over, Dev soon shows up at the village, with the agenda of freeing the villagers from Zangoora. Bina doesn't believe his sincerity, but then propitiously, Dev saves her from a wild bull, with some assistance from Dilip...
Dilip is sweet on Bina, so he also feels a burst of friendliness for Dev (what with Dev saving Bina's life, etc.). Dilip stands up for Dev when the latter campaigns for the village to get with him on fighting against Zangoora. 
And so it begins! Dev teaches the villagers to fight,..
even sings them songs of encouragement in the interim...
..AND even has them convert the village into a fort!!!
All done while singing blithely...
And so time passes (as it will), and now that the village is strengthened, Dilip's mom (Shobhna) reminds him of his wedding plans with Bina...
...too bad, 'cos Bina is seeing Dev already!
Dilip is broken hearted, but breaks his engagement with Bina to get her with Dev...
...and even fixes it with his mom and her dad.
Of course the Village wins, drives back Zangoora and everything is perfect- for the next few years in fact. Dev and Bina even have a baby, and Dilip plays nanny :)
Zippy too has had other job opportunities. After playing soldier, he has now turned teacher to the village kids...
... and even a musician in his spare time, among other things (yes really!).
Of curse, Zangoora has been planning for this very thing, and attacks them right in the middle of the festival. I have to admit I think Dev and Dilip look amazing here:
Another battle happenes, and the villagers drive back Zangoora and his army again, but this time Dis captured by the enemy. Look how he sneers at them- love him!
And he appears, wrapped in chains, and bravely defies Zangoora.
... so of curse, Dilip, Agha and Zippy get together and go to Zangoora's castle to rescue Dev. The only person with any real action here is Zippy, who passes messages to Agha's girl, who is Zangoora's maid...
Zippy even steals Zangoora's keys right from under his nose...
..all while getting drunk on Zangoora's wine.
'Cos he is that cool!
Zippy also steals some uniforms for Dilip,
.. so that he can get to Dev and sneak him out, while he himself.. 
gets to Zangoora...
... and is with Zangoora's men in his castle! Eagle-eye Dilip recognizes the baby and swoops upon it...
..while Dev is already at the castle doors with the Villagers' army. This is amazing, cos he has made it from the castle to the village and back in a remarkably short time. I'm guessing helicopters, in the least, had to have been employed.
Meanwhile, Dilip and the baby are captured and presented to Zangoora...
...and while Zangoora tries to threaten Dev with dropping the baby off the castle walls, its Zippy to the rescue!
Yep, Zippy actually grabs the baby from Zangoora and takes off..
Dev takes on Zangoora...
... getting off his panther-claw hand. Hopefully, no panthers were harmed in the making of said glove, since it appears quite fake. This is the only time we get to admire it though, since chances are it and Jayant were both largely edited out to accomodate Zippy's doings.
Dilip meanwhile runs to the village, but not before getting stabbed to the heart by Jairaj, Zangoora's second-in-command.
...and so it ends, with a bromance moment...
fini.
