HEADHUNTERS
by Aneesh S
Kolkata
Project Description
A 40-min documentary on Morranngam Khaling, a Naga tattoo artist reviving the fading Konyak tattoo traditions—an immersive journey through cultural memory and identity.
Expected Impact
The Northeast of India—and all that it embodies—remains largely on the periphery of the mainstream Indian imagination. Its rich culinary traditions, music, dance, and visual arts from the Seven Sister States are often overlooked, reduced to stereotypes or sidelined by ignorance, misinformation, and a post-truth climate that further muddies understanding. What better way to bridge this gap than through a documentary on a contemporary tattoo artist from the Northeast—Morranngam Khaling—who is on a mission to preserve the legacy of his ancestors? By reviving ancestral wisdom and cultural memory through the art of tattooing, he not only reconnects his own people with their roots but also invites the rest of the country to engage meaningfully with it. As a South Indian filmmaker collaborating with a diverse crew from across India, it would bring me immense joy to tell this story. Such a project becomes more than a film—it becomes a call for unity in diversity, a celebration of shared heritage that transcends geography. This documentary will also urge viewers—especially those drawn to tattoo culture—to reflect on the deeper significance behind ink. Tattoos are not just aesthetic adornments; they are cultural imprints, vessels of identity, history, memory, and resistance. At its heart, this film is a tribute to a dedicated artist who sees the human body as a living canvas—one through which he bridges his community’s glorious past with the present moment. Though ink fades and skin decays, the spirit of the tradition he carries remains indelible. Its his fight against time.
Applicant Background
I am currently pursuing Direction and Screenplay Writing at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. As part of my academic training, I have directed three conventionally edited short films and one long-take short film shot entirely without cuts—each project contributing to the refinement of my cinematic language and narrative precision. Beyond coursework, I independently directed a documentary that follows my sound recordist and me to Wayanad, Kerala, where we recorded voiceovers in the endangered and unwritten language of the Paniya tribe for our film. This ten-day journey of research and recording offered deep insight into the community’s socio-cultural fabric and the gradual erasure of their linguistic identity under the influence of dominant regional languages. The experience not only enriched my understanding of vanishing languages and systemic marginalization, but also informed the emotional core of my single-take fiction film, which explores related themes. Currently, I am developing a script for the NAGARI Documentary Competition organized by the Charles Correa Foundation, which focuses on the public realm in urban India. My team and I are working on a documentary about the Gariahat Chess Club—an informal, inclusive gathering that thrives beneath a flyover in Kolkata. I hope this project is shortlisted for further development. In parallel, I am also editing a documentary by a graduate of the National Institute of Design (NID), which centers on the lives of the Paniya tribes in the Gudalur district of Tamil Nadu. My prior experience with the Paniya community in Wayanad has significantly informed and deepened my editorial approach to this film. Together, these experiences—both within the institute and in the field—reflect my commitment to telling socially resonant stories. They have strengthened my narrative sensibility, sharpened my research and collaboration skills, and prepared me to approach this proposed documentary project with the depth, rigour, and empathy it requires.
Resources Needed
- Funding
- Mentorship
- Visibility
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