Daibawl at MIFF 2026

• A short fiction film by Mizoram-based filmmaker Napoleon RZ Thanga has been selected for screening at the Mumbai International Film Festival 2026.
• The film revisits Daibawl, an ancient Mizo healing ritual, and explores the tension between traditional beliefs and modern society.
• Historically, Daibawl was performed by a Puithiam (healing priest) to appease evil spirits believed to cause illness, often involving ritual sacrifices and the hanging of a Lenglep to ward off malevolent forces.
• The practice was closely associated with the pre-Christian animist belief system of the Mizo people.

APSC Relevance: Tribal culture, indigenous healing practices, cultural heritage, and Northeast cinema.