Bhubaneswar: The Odia film fraternity on Tuesday urged the state government to observe April 28, the day when the first Odia film ‘Sita Bibaha’ was released at Laxmi Talkies in Puri, as the Odia Chalachitra Divas (Odia Film Day).
The demand gathered steam during the second Odia Chalachitra Divas celebration, hosted by Odia Chalachitra Parivar at Geeta Govinda Sadan, Bhubaneswar.
The event turned into a star-studded affair, with the presence of prominent cine personalities like actor Siddhant Mohapatra, director Gadadhar Puty, actor Kuna Tripathy, director Sabyasachi Mohapatra, dialogue writer Dr Rajani Ranjan and Debu Pattanayak among others who inaugurated the evening by lighting the auspicious lamp.
One common thing emerged from the speeches of the veteran film personalities was that Odia film Industry has completed its 90 years and is now on the way to getting back its lost glory. Films like ‘Daman’ have breathed new lease of life into the film industry, with many creating ripples in film festivals in India and abroad, lapping critical acclaims and winning hearts of cine lovers.
There is a renewed spirit among directors, producers, actors and technicians who are optimistic about what lies ahead for the industry.
At the same time, they raised the problem of the shortage of cinema halls across the state. They also urged the government not only to declare April 28 as Odia Film Day but also to roll out the state film awards on that very date.
Speaking at the event, actor Siddhant Mohapatra, who is also the MLA from Digapahandi, hinted that the Chief Minister has taken note of the industry’s concern and may soon come up with some concrete measures.
The evening also featured the screening of a documentary film on the journey of Odia film titled ‘Odia Cinema-Anatahina Jatra’ (Odia Chalachitra-Endless Journey), crafted by Surya Deo, tracing the Odia film industry’s journey from ‘Sita Bibaha’ to till now.
A galaxy of film personalities graced the occasion, including Iti Samanta, Sritam Das, Sanjay (Tutu) Nayak, Ramesh Barik, Tapas Sargharaia, Papu Pompom, Harihara Mohapatra, Ushasi Mishra, Anu Choudhury, Pinky Pradhan, Sofia Alam, Sheetal Patra, Prativa Panda, among many others. Actor Sukant Rath, the man behind the celebrations, kept the audience engaged as the emcee, while Sanjay Mahala ensured everything ran like clockwork.
In the meeting, the organisers decided that the Odia Film Day celebration will be in a big way from the coming year. The evening wrapped on a high note with singers like Sohini Mishra, Sashank Sekhar, Smaranika and Randip Palit striking a chord with the audience through popular Odia film songs.
