'Making films in Sikkim is an uphill battle': Tribeny Rai on filmmaking challenges

Guwahati: Sikkimese filmmaker Tribeny Rai, whose debut feature Shape of Momos screened under the Indian Panorama section at IFFI 2025 on November 28, used the platform to shine a light on the severe infrastructural and economic barriers that continue to make filmmaking in Sikkim extraordinarily difficult.

Rai, who identifies as the first woman filmmaker from Sikkim, said that despite the region’s cinematic promise, the film culture in the state is still “slow to emerge,” held back by limited access to equipment, training, and professional networks. “Even basic camera setups have to be sourced from cities like Kolkata, Kathmandu or Guwahati,” she said, a logistical hurdle that instantly raises the cost and complexity of any independent film project.

Yet, she noted, a quiet but meaningful change is underway. Young Sikkimese film students are beginning to find their voice, many reaching out to her after watching Shape of Momos and expressing how deeply the film’s portrayal of everyday Sikkimese life resonated with them.

IFFI Platform for a Story Rooted in Sikkim

Shape of Momos, a film steeped in Sikkim’s cultural and emotional landscape, was screened at IFFI on November 27, followed by a press interaction with Rai, producer and co-writer Kislay, and lead actor Gaumaya Gurung.

An alumna of SRFTI, Kolkata, Rai has built her cinematic vocabulary around the lived experiences of women in the Eastern Himalayas. Her debut feature continues that thematic journey, blending personal memory, local landscapes, and cultural rhythms into an intimate narrative.

A Film Made Against the Odds

Describing the making of Shape of Momos, Rai called it both “rewarding and extremely difficult.” Beyond the equipment gap, Sikkim lacks specialised crews, post-production facilities, and a stable funding ecosystem, challenges that often force filmmakers into long delays or compromises.

That the film travelled internationally, including to the Busan Film Festival, is, therefore, she said, “particularly fulfilling,” not only personally but also as a statement of what independent films from small states can achieve despite systemic constraints.

The film’s title, she explained, emerges from the cultural ubiquity of momos in Sikkim. “It represents the everyday lives and emotions of the people I come from,” she said, a symbolic counter to the exoticization that often defines how the Northeast is portrayed in mainstream Indian media.

Independent Voices From an Underrepresented Region

Producer and co-writer Kislay highlighted how rare it is for films from Sikkim to be seen outside their immediate region. “Stories from places like Sikkim are either underrepresented or heavily stereotyped,” he said. He praised Rai’s first draft, rooted in her own experiences, as a refreshing alternative to those narrow portrayals. Their IFFI selection, he said, feels “deeply rewarding,” echoing a dream they nurtured since film school.

A Rare Woman’s Perspective in Nepali-Language Cinema

Lead actor Gaumaya Gurung, with five years in the Nepali film industry, said she was drawn to the film for its strong female point of view. “It’s rare to find stories in Nepali-language cinema that centre the subjective experiences of women,” she said, commending the film’s ability to blend interiority with grounded realism.

Distribution: The Next Mountain to Climb

Even after completing the film, the barriers did not ease. The team acknowledged the challenges of distribution and visibility for independent Northeastern films. Shape of Momos is set for release in Sikkim, North Bengal, parts of Meghalaya and Assam, and Dehradun, regions with sizable Nepali-speaking communities. The film will also see a theatrical release in Italy, a rare opportunity for a Sikkimese project.

Rai stressed the urgent need for a collective support network of independent filmmakers in Sikkim, a space for sharing resources, building visibility, and navigating the distribution maze.

Breaking Stereotypes, Claiming Space

Rai said that in mainstream Hindi cinema and many OTT narratives, the Northeast continues to be painted through a narrow lens, often exoticised or linked to drug-related themes. Shape of Momos stands in deliberate contrast.

“I wanted to tell a story where everyday people from Sikkim take centre stage, where we are the heroes of our own stories,” she said.