M. K. Binodini Devi

The novel was subsequently translated into English as The Princess and the Political Agent and published as a Penguin Modern Classic in 2020.

Binodini Devi studied at University of Calcutta, Vidyasagar College and Visva-Bharati University. The recorded working language is Meitei. Positions recorded include Member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly. Distinctions recorded are Sahitya Akademi Award in Meitei and Padma Shri in literature and education.

• Name — Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi • Pen Name — Binodini • Birth Name — Sana Wangol • Born — 6 February 1922 • Birthplace — Royal Palace, Imphal, Manipur Kingdom • Died — 17 January 2011 • Place of death — Yaiskul, Imphal, Manipur, India • Occupation — Writer, poet, playwright • Language — Manipuri (Meiteilon) • Spouse — Dr L. Nanda Babu Roy (m. 1950, sep. 1967) • Children — L. Debabrata Roy L. Somi Roy • Awards — Jamini Sundar Guha Gold Medal (1966) Padma Shri (1976) Sahitya Akademi Award (1979)

Sana Wangol or Wangolsana was born 6 February 1922 to Sir Maharaja Churachand Singh of the Manipur Kingdom and Maharani Dhanamanjuri Devi. M.K. Binodini Devi was the first woman to graduate in Manipur and its first woman writer. She married Dr. Laifungbam Nanda Babu Roy, on 26 January 1950; they had two sons, L. Debabrata Roy and L. Somi Roy. Binodini was also a sculptor and studied art in Santiniketan with Ramkinkar Baij (also Vaij) and other artists. Many of the portraits painted by Baij of her are now held in the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. Imasi: The Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi Foundation was established in Imphal, Manipur, by her son, L. Somi Roy, and the writer's friends and associates. Its stated goal is to preserve, protect and promote the legacy of M.K. Binodini Devi.

Binodini wrote 58 songs and translated 29 Rabindra Sangeet into Manipuri. These were published in Isei Binodinigi (ꯏꯁꯩ ꯕꯤꯅꯣꯗꯤꯅꯤꯒꯤ) by Imasi Publications in 2014. The second edition of this collection of songs by Binodini was published as Khongjom Parba Amadi Isei Binodinigi as a dual Meitei Mayek and Bangla script edition in 2026 by Imasi Foundation, with the addition of her epic ballad, Khongjom Parba, about the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891 and its aftermath. She wrote lyrics for a song titled Lapna Lotna Leiyu (ꯂꯥꯞꯅ ꯂꯣꯠꯅ ꯂꯩꯌꯨ) for the first Manipuri feature film Matamgi Manipur (ꯃꯇꯝꯒꯤ ꯃꯅꯤꯄꯨꯔ) (1973). Many of her songs are still sung today and are classics of contemporary Manipuri songs. They were all performed by artists of Roop Raag (ꯔꯨꯞ ꯔꯥꯒ) and were broadcast over All India Radio, Imphal. Patriotic songs written by her such as Kannada Sinnani Phiral Ase (ꯀꯟꯅꯥꯗ ꯁꯤꯟꯅꯅꯤ ꯐꯤꯔꯥꯜ ꯑꯁꯦ), Sukna Mamla Guha Nungda (ꯁꯨꯛꯅ ꯃꯝꯂ ꯒꯨꯍꯥ ꯅꯨꯡꯗ) and Lairabini Hainei Ima Nangbu Mina (ꯂꯥꯏꯔꯕꯤꯅꯤ ꯍꯥꯏꯅꯩ ꯏꯃꯥ ꯅꯪꯕꯨ ꯃꯤꯅ) were associated with the Great June Uprising on 18 June 2001. It was the occasion when she returned her Padma Shri awarded to her by the Government of India in 1976.

Binodini wrote the scripts for six modern Manipuri ballets. They were produced by the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy (JNMDA) where she served as Secretary for 11 years. They include Keibmuchamjao (ꯀꯩꯕꯨꯜ ꯂꯝꯖꯥꯎ; 1985) and Loktak Isei (ꯂꯣꯛꯇꯥꯛ ꯏꯁꯩ, 1991; The Ballad of Loktak). "The Loktak lake is a rich depository of several legendary tales. There is a big tradition, a huge cultural tradition associated with the lake. There has been so much literature on the Loktak, inspired by its beauty and charm, of its legends and folktales. That is why I have tried to write the ballet Loktak Eshei [sic] for the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy." They use both classical Manipuri Dance and folk styles to tell stories based on Manipuri folklore. These ecological ballets contributed to environmental awareness and wildlife preservation in Manipur. The film version of her ballet Keibul Lamjao's, titled Sangai: The Dancing Deer of Manipur, was produced by Sangeet Natak Akademi. In 1976, M.K. Binodini Devi led a Manipuri dance troupe to perform at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC for the celebration of the US Bicentennial. The troupe also toured Mexico, Canada and Europe. In 2003, she wrote Ho Mexico! Lamkoi Wari (ꯍꯣ ꯃꯦꯛꯁꯤꯀꯣ! ꯂꯝꯀꯣꯏ ꯋꯥꯔꯤ; O Mexico! Travel Tales), a series of travel essays about the dance tour.

M.K. Binodini Devi used her literature to advocate for wildlife and environmental causes. Her essay Thoibido Warouhou'i (ꯊꯣꯏꯕꯤꯗꯣ ꯋꯥꯔꯧꯍꯧꯏ) (The Pique of the Doe, 1973) was her basis for her ballet Keibul Lamjao. These works ignited themes of wildlife appreciation and environmental awareness. "I felt ashamed to ride in the presence of the animals. I got off and walked down the hill. The car followed me, stupidly." The essay along with others Ahong Yumna Haihou'i (ꯑꯍꯣꯡ ꯌꯨꯝꯅ ꯍꯥꯏꯍꯧꯢ;The Ancestral Home) and Darjeeling Chat'ngeida (ꯗꯥꯔꯖꯤꯂꯤꯡ ꯆꯠꯉꯩꯗ; Upon a Visit to Darjeeling). Most of them were published in Manipuri newspapers like Poknapham (ꯄꯣꯛꯅꯐꯝ) and Naharolgi Thoudang (ꯅꯥꯍꯥꯔꯣꯜꯒꯤ ꯊꯧꯗꯥꯡ). "A woman of letters, she contributes regularly to the local dailies such as Poknapham, Naharolgi Thoudang and the Imphal Free Press with letters, stories, articles and commentaries of current social and political issues in Manipur." M.K. Binodini Devi took part in the Quit India Movement in 1942, and was a lifetime president of the Manipur chapter of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). Her patriotic songs including Kannada Sinnani Phiral Ase and Lairabini Hainei Ima Nangbu Mina are popular in Manipur today. In October 2001, she founded LEIKOL (Leima Khorjei Kol) (ꯂꯩꯃ ꯈꯣꯔꯖꯩ ꯀꯣꯜ), a women's writers' circle. In 1975, she introduced microfinancing for market women and was the founding chairman of the Manipur Women's Cooperative Bank Ltd. She was elected to the Manipur Assembly in 1952.

• Basi Marol Chumdaba • Charangnaraba Nung • Cheisra • Chithi • Imagi Ningthem • Imphal Kaba • Jahanara or Ketabgi Segaikhraba Lamai • Kanana Keithel Kabini? • Kaorabara Ras Sannabagi Ahingdo • Nandini • Nangna Kappa Pakchade • Ngaikho, Hingminakhisi • Nongphadok Lakpada • Shilpi, later Asangba Nongjabi • Sribon Chinggi Tamnalai • Thengmallabara Radhamanbi

• Ahing Amagi Wari (based on a story by Haobam Satyabati) • Charangnaraba Nung (Rabindranath Tagore's Hungry Stones) • Nongphadok Lakpada (based on Lamabam Biramani's Atithi) • Sanabi (based on Binodini's Sanabi)

• Kong Hangoi (children's ballet, 1971) • Thoibi (ballet, 1972) • Keibul Lamjao (wildlife ballet, 1984) • Loktak Isei (ecology ballet, 1991) • Pebet (children's ballet, 1996) • A Throw of Dice (based on the Mahabharata)

• Ima (Mother, Maxim Gorky) • Amasung Indrajit (Evam Indrajit, Badal Sircar) • Solution X (Badal Sircar) • Sakhangdaba Kayani (Koto Ajanare, Shankar) • Charangnaraba Nung (Khudito Pashan, Rabindranath Tagore) • Karna Kunti Sangbad (Rabindranath Tagore) • 28 Rabindra Sangeet (Rabindranath Tagore)

• My Son, My Precious (Imagi Ningthem). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Cinewave, Calcutta 1981 • One Answer (Paokhum Ama). Cinewave, Calcutta 1982 • My Little Friend (Imphal Turelgi Itamacha). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Sahitya Akademi anthology. New Delhi 2005 • A String of Beads (Charik Pareng, in The Grasshopper and Other Stories) Cambridge University Press, New Delhi 2011 • Crimson Rainclouds (Asangba Nongjabi). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Thema Books, Calcutta 2012 • Sanatombi (Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi). Translated into Assamese by Indramani Rajkumar; Sahitya Akademi, 2012 • The Maharaja's Household: A Daughter's Memories of Her Father (Churachandgi Maharajgi Imung). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Zubaan Books, 2015 • Girls Hostel (Sri Bhavana). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Viswabharati Quarterly, 2018; Crafting the World, Zubaan Books, 2019 • The Princess and the Political Agent (Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi). Translation by L. Somi Roy. Penguin Modern Classics, Penguin Random House India, 2020 • Nil Sandhyar Agun Megh (Asangba Nongjabi and Sri Bhavana). Translation into Bangla by Minati Ghosh and L. Somi Roy, Bhasha Samsad, 2022)

• Binodini: A Writer's Life, Film by Aribam Syam Sharma, Sahitya Akademi, 2003, 26 min. • MK Binodini Devi, L. Somi Roy, Sahitya Akademi, Makers of Indian Literature series, 2022

Binodini wrote screenplays for Manipuri feature films like Olangthagee Wangmadasu (ꯑꯣꯂꯥꯡꯊꯥꯒꯤ ꯋꯥꯡꯃꯗꯁꯨ;1980), Imagi Ningthem (ꯏꯃꯥꯒꯤ ꯅꯤꯡꯊꯦꯝ;1981), Paokhum Ama (ꯄꯥꯎꯈꯨꯝ ꯑꯃꯥ;1983), Thengmallabara Radhamanbi (ꯊꯦꯡꯃꯜꯂꯕꯔꯥ ꯔꯥꯘꯥ ꯃꯥꯟꯕꯤ;1985), Ishanou (ꯏꯁꯥꯅꯧ;1990), Mayophygee Macha (ꯃꯥꯌꯣꯐꯤꯒꯤ ꯃꯆꯥ;1994), Asangba Nongjabi, 2003 and Nangna Kappa Pakchade (ꯅꯪꯅ ꯀꯞꯄ ꯄꯛꯆꯗꯦ; 2013). Her story Ngaihak Lambida (ꯉꯥꯏꯍꯥꯛ ꯂꯝꯕꯤꯗꯥ) was made into a short film by Haobam Paban Kumar. She also wrote the scripts for non-fiction films such as Orchids of Manipur (1993), Sangai: The Dancing Deer of Manipur (1991), and Laa (ꯂꯥ). In 1981, Aribam Syam Sharma's film Imagi Ningthem (My Son, My Precious, screenplay published by Cinewave, 1981) based on her screenplay adapted from her radioplay of the same name, won the Montgolfiere Grand Prix at Nantes in France. She wrote the original screenplay of Ishanou (Aribam Syam Sharma, 1990), whch was selected for Un Certain Regard at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. It was later recognised as a Cannes Classic in May 2023. She scripted the film version of the Manipuri ballet called Sangai: The Dancing Deer of Manipur by Aribam Syam Sharma which was selected as the Outstanding Film of the Year Award for 1991 by the British Film Institute (BFI). Many of her screenplays won national and state film awards in India, including multiple awards for Olangthagee Wangmadasu and the Best Story Award at the 9th Manipur State Film Awards for the movie, Nangna Kappa Pakchade in 2014, awarded posthumously.

• Olangthagee Wangmadasoo (feature film, original screenplay, 1980) • Imagi Ningthem (feature film, 1981) • Paokhum Ama (feature film, original screenplay, 1983) • Sangai, the Dancing Deer of Manipur (documentary, 1988), • Ishanou (feature film, original screenplay,1990) • Mayophygee Macha (feature film, 1994) • Orchids of Manipur (documentary, 1994) • Sanabi (feature film, 1995) • La (documentary, 1997), • Thengmallabara Radhamanbi (feature film, 1999) • Ashangba Nongjabi (television feature film, 2003) • Ngaihak Lambida (short feature, story, 2006) • Nangna Kappa Pakchade (feature, 2013)