Jaksram Kongkal Marak

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Jaksram Kongkal MarakTomorrow is the last day for screening of Rapture, a Garo movie with layers of themes and enigmatic imageries by the acclaimed director Dominic M Sangma. We have known Dominic-the-director well now: the awards he received, where he hails from, how he looks, even the length of his hair. We ought to know his associate friends too. I would feel animated introducing one of them, Jaksram the Animator, known to many yet unknown to the multitude.

I see right now, a group of lively boys coming after playing football, one of them singing Maijingjing maijingjing ambi mikki. That’s a line from the animated music video Maijingjing, Mikhail’s tryst with Garo folklore. We are going to see who’s making those pictures move.

Meet Jaksram Kongkal Marak, a 31 years old self-taught visual artist. He was born and brought up in Shillong, has three siblings, two of whom are doctors. Jaksram says his siblings are academically more accomplished than he is. Being the first artist in the family, he sometimes finds it challenging to tell about his work or profession to some of the relatives, a discouraging mindset in the society, where a person without a government job is called “kam gri” (a person with no job).

On the location of a music video shoot in Shillong

Jaksram is a visual artist by profession, working on various multidisciplinary projects that include direction, animation, photography, cinematography, video editing and graphic design. He is also the co-founder and creative director of The Doers Clothing, a brand established in 2018 with a friend.

As a child, he was considered the black sheep of the family due to his mischievous nature and troublemaking. Both his parents came from Garo Hills and settled in Shillong, where he was born and raised. Jaksram’s home village is in the Garo Hills. That’s Tengabari village (near Kharkutta), where his mother hails from. His late father was from Daram, Resu. Jaksram attended St. Peter’s School in Shillong, completed intermediate studies (classes 11-12) at SHUATS in Allahabad, and pursued college education at Martin Luther Christian University in Shillong. He graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition, which seems to be unrelated to what he is doing now.

Upon graduation, Jaksram decided to forgo a conventional 9-to-5 job and began freelancing as an artist. Although his parents were skeptical about his decision, they supported him in the pursuit of his dreams.

His journey into art was quite unique. As a child, he was inspired by his older brother’s drawing skills and would always draw in class. As he improved, some classmates would buy his drawings or trade valuable items for them. However, he had no knowledge of what an artist was or how to become one at that time.

At the Finals of the Bboy Battle event of 18 Degrees, State Central Library, Shillong

During his teenage days, Jaksram with his friends practiced flips at a factory parking lot, which eventually led them to learn how to dance. He entered the art community as a performing dancer at his home church, which inspired him to participate in various dance workshops and compete as a breaker (B-boy). He began Bboying at the age of 18 and became the first Garo B-boy to compete and win in various events. He was part of a dance crew called Fancy Streets Stylez, later renamed Fancy Crew. The crew won numerous regional events and organized competitions that inspired many young B-boys. Most new-generation B-boys, especially from his community, still remember them as pioneers of the Bboying scene in the state.

Jaksram’s involvement in Bboying led him to learn Photoshop and start designing posters for the events, which eventually led to paid client work. Although he was devoid of a powerful equipment, he made the most of what he had. Later, he began shooting videos of dancer friends, which attracted more clients. His first paid shoot was for just 500 rupees, and though he didn’t know how to price his services at the time, it was a start. That experience led to more projects, including weddings, music videos, and documentaries. In the beginning, he got just a few projects, but he decided to use the money from whatever he did to rent an apartment and started building his career and portfolio from scratch.

Behind the scene of “Ambinna Sakki” music video with Dominic M Sangma

In 2020, he met Dominic Sangma through his friend Anon Cheran Momin. He heard of Dominic’s work during his internship and was excited to learn that he was a Garo, with internationally renowned achievements. They collaborated on the Ambinna Sakki project, where he served as cinematographer, editor, and animator. While shooting that project, his father, who was one of the casts, got diagnosed with cancer and lost his life leaving the family in grief. But Jaksram was resilient. After a while he took the courage to come back and pursue working as an artist with more zeal. This project taught him the power of teamwork and significantly boosted his portfolio, introducing his work to a broader audience. Growing up in Shillong, he did not have much exposure to Garo culture and traditions because he seldom visited Garo Hills as the family had limited means. Most of his childhood memories involved ghost stories told by his grandparents, and riding bicycles across the fields. As he delved deeper into art, he started reconnecting with his roots, researching his ancestral culture, and meeting influential artists who further fueled his appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of the Garos.

On the set of Rapture, a film by Dominic M Sangma

Gradually, he took on various music video projects that further developed his portfolio. Through this, he was able to afford a bigger apartment for himself. He was given another opportunity to work with Dominic Sangma on his film Rapture as the On Set Photographer, Graphics Designer for the posters and the Film Credit Designer.  Few notable music videos he worked on include Saobade by the Do·pos, Film by S Dio, and Anga Sengsoenga by Chuang and Aransha. He expanded skills into animation, working on projects like Heros by Castles and Crowns, Branggipa Depante by Nokpante, and Saljong Tasin Me·chik” by Ahowee. He also shot and edited documentary projects with Dominic.

At NIV Art Studio Residency Program, New Delhi

During March of 2024 Jaksram was recommended for a Film Residency Program at NIV Art Centre by Dominic, where he was mentored by renown figures in the Indian Film community, such as Pushpendra Singh, Ankush Gupta, Priya Seth, KS Sivadas, Ashwin Ramanathan, MK Raina and Sanjay Gulati. Among the many participants of the program his Script was among the 3 selected to shoot a film on and they were given the opportunity to screen their film on the Final Day of the residency. Jaksram’s next goal is to direct a film in the near future, leveraging the skills and mentorship he gained along the way.

Link to some of the projects online:

Jaksram with the author at the screening of Dominic Sangma’s Rapture at Tura

Email: jaksramkongkalmarak@gmail.com
Website: www.jaksramkmarak.co.in

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