Bhubaneswar: The curtains came down on the second edition of the Bhubaneswar Film Festival (BFF) on Monday after four days of cinematic splendour at Jayadev Bhawan.
Organised by the Bhubaneswar Film Circle, the festival offered a rare treat to cinephiles, bringing together a bouquet of 19 films across 10 languages, including Odia, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Tiwa, Urdu, and Chhattisgarhi.
For film lovers in the city, the festival was a double delight — a chance to revisit timeless Odia classics and discover cinematic gems from other regions of India.
The opening day set the tone with screenings of the iconic ‘Matira Manisha’, followed by ‘Ankur’ (Hindi), ‘Kaa’ (Odia), and ‘Bhakta Salabega’ (Odia).The momentum continued with Day Two showcasing ‘Hamid’ (Urdu), ‘Shwaas’ (Marathi), ‘Bhavani Bhavai’ (Gujarati), ‘Kalira Atita’ (Odia), and ‘Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam’ (Hindi).
Day Three offered a diverse palette with ‘Krantidhara’ (Odia), ‘Sikaisal’ (Tiwa), ‘Bhulan The Maze’ (Chhattisgarhi), ‘Damul’ (Hindi), and Ritwik Ghatak’s hauntingly poetic ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’ (Bengali).
The grand finale featured crowd-pullers like ‘Jajabara’, ‘Nirbachana’, ‘Kanakalata’, ‘Adina Megha’, and the critically acclaimed Kannada film ‘Ghatashraddha’ by Girish Kasaravalli.
Houseful screenings of Odia classics testified to their enduring appeal, while parallel cinema lovers thronged for landmark films like ‘Damul’, ‘Ankur’, and ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara’.
The festival was more than just film screenings — it was a melting pot of creative minds and film aficionados.
Adding to the festival’s charm were two enriching masterclasses: on June 7, Bollywood screenwriter Charudutt Acharya led a session on screenwriting at Gita Govinda Sadan, and on June 8, casting director Abhimanyu Roy offered insights into acting at the Press Club.
Jayadev Bhawan buzzed with life throughout the festival, becoming a hub for filmmakers, critics, students, and fans to connect, reflect, and celebrate cinema. Old friends reunited, new collaborations were sparked, and the city’s cultural calendar was all the richer for it.
As the final credits rolled, one thing was clear — BFF 2025 was a blockbuster in its own right.
Cine lovers now await the next edition with bated breath.
