Latest news with #Manipuri
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Randeep Hooda says he was given a ‘bowl to pee', Lin Laishram was not allowed to smile during their wedding in Manipur
Bollywood actors Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram tied the knot in a traditional Meitei wedding ceremony in Manipur in 2023. The couple shared some adorable pictures from the wedding on social media. Now, in an interview with Mid-Day, Randeep talked about the wedding ceremonies, which he experienced for the first time, and recalled how there was a lot of drama at his wedding. (Also Read: Randeep Hooda opens up about his low phase: 'I was depressed, had to sell everything') Randeep Hooda talked about his 'dramatic marriage' with Lin Laishram. Randeep and Lin dated each other for a brief period before getting married. He revealed that there was a stereotype about him not marrying a Jaat girl and said that his marriage itself was a "big drama" in the sense that there was political turmoil in Manipur. He revealed that his friend, Brigadier Sanghwan, who was with the Assam Rifles, helped him plan the wedding in Manipur. Recalling the trip, the actor said he went to Manipur with a group of 10–12 people and admitted they were unfamiliar with the region's customs and rituals. He revealed that although Lin tried showing him videos to help him understand the ceremonies in advance, he was too occupied editing Swatantrya Veer Savarkar at the time. Randeep Hooda on traditional wedding ceremony Recalling the wedding ceremonies, Randeep explained, "Then we came to the wedding ceremonies. I had a helper with me, more like a tutor. So once the groom puts his thing on his head, you can't tilt your head. You go to the ceremony and they give a bowl and an umbrella. They then put you in a holding area where everyone is supposed to come and look at you, and you are supposed to look very dignified. And once you are in the mandap, which has got all these midang players summer-salting, and all these pandits chanting mantras, you are not supposed to move; they wrap a blanket around you. So if I sit in rest mode, the helper would correct me and say 'you have to look the best, you are god today.' For two hours I had to sit with my back straight and head up. Then I asked what was the bowl for and he said in case you need to pee, you just open the umbrella and pee over there, you cannot move out of there because you are god." He added, "And when she (Lin) came, she also had a tutor. She got so much scolding. She was smiling and you are not supposed to smile, so messengers would come and tell you 'stop smiling'. But we all were so taken in. The Haryanvi culture and the Manipuri culture is so different even though both produce the best boxers and sportsmen. Our is so rough and crass and their's is so systematic. She was wearing so much gold and I was like 'chalo ek picture toh yahin bann gayi (now a film can be made)'. It was a civil war going there and as soon as the pheras finished, hundreds of AK-47 went off in the air." Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram's relationship Randeep and Lin dated for years before tying the knot. They met for the first time during their theatre days. While they never made their relationship public, they shared pictures on social media during festivals. Lin shared their love story with the news agency ANI: "We actually met at Naseeruddin Shah's theatre group called Motley, and he was my senior. That's where I met him. We were friends, and it's turning into a beautiful journey."
NDTV
3 days ago
- General
- NDTV
DNA Of Manipur Flight Attendant Matched, Family To Bring Body Via Dimapur
Guwahati: The body of one of the two flight attendants from Manipur who was killed in the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad has been identified from DNA samples, the family has said. The family of Lamnunthem Singson will take her body from Ahmedabad to Dimapur in Nagaland first, and then by road from Dimapur to their rented house in Manipur's Kangpokpi, some 165 km away. After the authorities confirmed the DNA sample match, the family said arrangements are being made to transport the body to Dimapur on Thursday morning. The exact flight schedule is yet to be worked out, they said. The loss of their loved one in the Dreamliner crash has left not only the family of Lamnunthem heartbroken and devastated, but members of the Thadou tribe in Kangpokpi too, many of whom visited the family to pay respects and offer condolences. Lamnunthem and her family once lived in Imphal's Old Lambulane, but had to leave after ethnic clashes broke out in May 2023. Since then, her family has been living in Kangpokpi district as internally displaced persons, or IDPs. The other flight attendant from Manipur who was killed in the crash was K Nganthoi Sharma, who lived in Thoubal district. Her family is still waiting for a DNA match. The Manipur government on June 16 said it was fully prepared to receive the bodies of the two flight attendants at Imphal airport, and "necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that their remains are treated with the highest dignity and respect, and subsequently transported safely to their respective homes." "However, the final decision regarding the mode of reception, ceremonies and other arrangements is respectfully left to the bereaved families. The state is committed to providing all necessary support as per their wishes," the government said. PRESS NOTE Imphal, 16ᵗʰ June 2025 Tragic Loss of Two Brave Manipuri Daughters in Ahmedabad Plane Crash - preparations regarding receiving their mortal remains. It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that the Government and people of Manipur mourn the untimely and tragic... — Government of Manipur (@govt_of_manipur) June 16, 2025 Civil society organisations in the state capital Imphal had also sought cooperation from the public to ensure access to the airport to members of all communities, and assured free movement. The news website The Print reported that Lamnunthem's cousin, N Kipgen, said the family doesn't want her body to be brought via Imphal and is willing to take the longer route via Dimapur. "We do not want to politicise my sister's remains. We requested the authorities to take the Dimapur route because our extended family is there. Secondly, it is not safe for us to travel via Imphal under any circumstances," N Kipgen told The Print before the DNA sample match confirmation came. "We are patiently waiting for the DNA results. We do not know how long we have to wait, but we do not want to be a spectacle." A joint meeting of civil society organisations in Kangpokpi, however, decided that Kuki Students' Organisation members will receive the body at Dimapur airport in Nagaland, from where they will escort the remains on National Highway 2 to Manipur's Kangpokpi. In Kangpokpi, the town committee will form a human chain and hold a candlelight vigil till Lamnunthem's place. 'Some Running Narrative, Unfortunate' The Thadou Students' Association (TSA) on June 16 had expressed concern over what it called were "false narratives circulating on social media, including claims that Imphal airport is inaccessible for the family of late Lamnunthem Singson." "... It is also unfortunate that some vested interests/individuals/organisations are politicising the issue for their own interests, which are best known to them. TSA would like to reiterate that this is not a time to propagate your own narrative for scoring brownie points but rather to stand in solidarity with the bereaved families. We urge the government to monitor and act firmly against those spreading hateful comments or rumors during this sensitive time," TSA secretary general Thangminlun Haokip had said. The civil society organisation, Meitei Heritage Society, on Wednesday said running narratives "is immoral and simply wrong to exploit this human tragedy for a vested interest by playing politics over bodies." "We urge these groups to show some humanity and spare the families of the departed souls for their dirty politics. Instead, let's come together to mourn the deaths of our state's daughters who died in their line of duties and honour them with dignity, who greatly deserved such love and respect, in their final trip back home," a MHS spokesperson told reporters.
Time of India
7 days ago
- General
- Time of India
When legs gave way, tears kept streaming down her face: A sister pays tearful homage after Air India crash
Ahmedabad: An eerie silence fell over the charred crash site, broken only by the distant wail of emergency vehicles. The scorching sun beat down, and a sickening scent of burnt wire and aircraft debris hung heavy - a constant, acrid reminder of the tragedy. Amid this grim tableau, another sound rose: the raw, heart-wrenching wails of two young Manipuri women performing a sacred ceremony for their beloved lost ones. Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, 20, and Lamnunthem Singson, 26 - bright, promising Air India cabin crew - had vanished into the inferno. As they entered the hostel gate, stepping carefully amid scattered debris and blackened walls, one young woman's legs gave way. She dropped to the ground near a solitary tree, her body shaking with silent sobs that soon erupted into guttural cries, her face buried in her hands. The other knelt beside her, a hand resting gently on her back, her own eyes brimming. Both, in their twenties, wore faces etched with profound grief - a fragile mix of stoicism and devastation. Their glistening eyes held a distant, trance-like focus. Their trembling hands moved with purpose, preparing for the ceremony: an incense stick, a vibrant yellow marigold garland, a pristine white towel, among a few other things. The ceremony was performed by Khenjita Geetanjali Devi, sister, and Ngamlienlal Kipgen, cousin of the air hostesses, sources said. The air, heavy with the scent of smoke, despair, and burnt wreckage, slowly filled with fragrant incense as one of the women, her voice a fragile whisper that swelled into a potent lament, began to chant ancient Manipuri words. It wasn't a soft prayer; it was potent, deliberate wailing, possibly a Thawaimi Kousinba - a calling and collection of the soul, as IB Singh, a Manipuri local, explained to ET. A man, possibly another relative accompanying them, moved slowly, spreading the purifying smoke, his eyes red-rimmed and unfocused. The white cloth was folded with immense tenderness and rocked five times, like a mother cradling her baby - a desperate attempt to coax the departed spirits back. Live Events "In our Manipuri, particularly Meitei culture, if a family member dies in a bus accident, vehicle accident, or plane crash, the family must try to collect the soul from the very spot where the person died. That is called Thawaimi Kousinba," Singh said. Without the ritual, the soul is believed to remain trapped, unable to pass on, possibly causing disturbances and obstructions. The ceremony helps free the soul, allowing it to ascend peacefully and eventually be reborn. Clutching the white cloth to her chest, the young woman sobbed uncontrollably before carefully laying it on the ground. She clenched the brown paper bag that carried the Turkish towel, her head hung low, tears still streaming down her face. Even Air India's support staff found their own eyes welling up. Hardened policemen and women nearby, typically unmoved, quietly softened, touched by the raw, unfiltered grief that filled the air. As she looked back once again, for those present, the scene was no longer distant or procedural - it was profoundly, painfully human.
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Lin Laishram says guests loved the food at her wedding: ‘Randeep and I kept saying, kaun khaayega'; why it plays a significant role
Lin Laishram, who married actor Randeep Hooda in an intimate ceremony in Manipur, reflected on candid moments from her November 2023 wedding and shared how food became a topic of conversation. 'Food was…I didn't actually eat. But we were told that the food was very good. In Manipur, we had our traditional Manipuri cuisine, and also we had biryani, Mughlai style, and all that. And Mumbai's also…we had a wide spread,' recollected Lin. She mentioned that while the couple dismissed the need for such a big spread with different cuisines, their wedding planner emphasised it. 'Our wedding planner arranged so many different cuisines. Randeep and I kept saying, Arey, 5 dishes rakho. Kaun khaayega? (Keep 5 dishes. Who will eat?) We were thinking very small. We don't really go to a lot of parties, so we don't have the understanding of what food people like and expect. We realised how important food was after the marriage because everybody talked about the food, like this was good, that was good. We had multi-cuisine and it was great,' Lin said in a conversation with Hauterrfly. Taking a cue, we reached out to wedding planners to understand how food is an essential part of celebrations like weddings. 'Most weddings I see involve families disagreeing on many things except for one: food. Especially in Indian families, there is never any compromise on the quality and variety of food, as it is the one thing all guests truly look forward to,' said Dilbir Sahni, founder, Indobangkok Weddings. As Indians, we speak many languages from different states, but we are all united over food, Sahni asserted. 'We always state that this aspect is directly proportional to guest satisfaction. Guests may not always remember the décor, music, stage, or even the rituals, but they will always remember a delay in food or a compromise in its quality,' said Sahni. Sahni also recalled how, at one of their recent events, they flew in a maharaj (traditional chef) who prepared fresh haldi doodh live, accompanied by engaging performances. 'Our Maharashtrian guests were spellbound to witness this in Thailand and spoke of the experience long after the celebrations ended,' shared Sahni, who said that it goes beyond being just a meal. 'It is emotion, tradition, and often the centrepiece of celebration,' said Sahni. Pawan Gupta, co-founder, CEO of The Wedding Company, called food 'practically a cultural truth'. 'After all, every guest goes home not just with memories, but with a full stomach and a detailed review of the menu,' shared Gupta. According to Gupta, food plays a crucial role in weddings, acting as a symbol of unity, tradition, and celebration. 'It can honour heritage, faith, and even represent good omens. A well-chosen menu can enhance the overall experience and create lasting memories,' said Gupta.
New Indian Express
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Day 4 of SPIC MACAY musical event a treat to all the senses
The fourth day of the 10th International Convention of SPIC MACAY at IIT Hyderabad kicked off with the same vibrant energy and spiritual pulse as Day 3. First up was an Odissi performance by Padma Shri Datuk Ramli Ibrahim. Conceptualised and choreographed by the maestro himself, the piece was a poetic celebration of 'Basant Ritu' — spring in all its blossoming glory. Draped in hues of red and orange, dancers brought Radha and Krishna to life against the rhythms of awakening nature. This moved into a powerful depiction of Surya, the Sun God, in his chariot of seven horses, a symbolic fusion of Vedic cosmology and classical dance. The maestro's vision and the ensemble's grace transported the audience into a realm where devotion and nature converged. The energy then shifted, but also stayed just as intense, with an electrifying Pung Cholom performance by Khumukchan Romendro Singh. It was rhythm, precision, and spiritual intensity rolled into one. With acrobatic leaps, spinning pirouettes, and that hypnotic blend of dance and drumming, he demonstrated the sacred precision of the Manipuri tradition, rooted in Nata Sankirtana. Every beat was more than rhythm — it was a prayer. The audience watched in awe as art became meditation, and movement became mantra.
