Just as the British authorities encouraged Manipur to go all out in the ceremonials for the coronation, this film goes all out to capture those events. This is evidenced by the range of the events covered: the film provides a chronological account of the ceremonies, capturing the procession to the site of the coronation hall, the rituals for the snake goddess, and the return of the procession to the royal palace. It is also evidenced by the presence of two cameramen employed to cover this story. The cameramen deliberately filmed from different angles; in his dope sheets Lieutenant Honawar notes that Jemadar Singh specialised in shots of ‘the crowd, the Maharja and other interesting figures like musicians, wise women etc.’ (Honawar). Their footage has been edited together for this final film, but otherwise does not appear to have been cut. As such, certain sections of the action are duplicated and there are on occasion unexpected sections of footage (a segment showing Nissen huts, for example).

The film’s long shots reveal something of the military intrusion into civilian life. British military personnel can be seen witnessing the procession at certain stages of the route, and military vehicles can be glimpsed in the background of some of these scenes. Moreover, scattered throughout the crowds, and occasionally seen standing guard, are a number of Indians wearing contemporary military uniform. What the long shots convey most effectively, however, is the scale of events: there are hundreds if not thousands present.

It would appear that one of the main objectives of these coronation ceremonies, and of the film itself, was a display of Indian regal splendour, returning to its full majesty as the tide turned in the War. Consequently, the footage concentrates primarily upon the most traditional and striking aspects of the coronation ceremony. Honawar noted that the celebrations included a cocktail party, to which General Slim and other army and airforce officers were invited, but this is not featured in the footage. Instead there is the exotic gathering of the ritual for the snake goddess, where a priest can be seen descending into a trance. Singh’s close-ups focus upon wrestlers, ‘whose costumes go back to the dim recesses of tradition’ (Life, 30 April 1945, 78), and upon Indian musicians, who are shown blowing on conch shells or playing handcrafted stringed instruments. The mute nature of this film further enhances its ‘traditional’ representation of the coronation events: Life magazine noted that there was also a police band present at the ceremonies, which ‘varied’ the music played by the Indian musicians with their renditions of ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow’, but this band is neither seen nor heard in the film (Life, 30 April 1945, 78). The Maharajah is at the centre of this ancient splendour; he is pictured wearing an elaborate headdress and is shown in an elevated position, riding on an elephant’s back in a decorated howdah. Nevertheless, he also undercuts the representation of exoticism. He comes across as an aloof figure, and the close-ups capture his westernised habit of chain-smoking branded cigarettes.

Richard Osborne (April 2010)