On the face of it, there is a lot to cheer about. For, completing 75 years of existence is no minor achievement for any regional film industry in the country. So, when Oriya cinema turned the milestone, the fraternity joined hands to commemorate the occasion. But scratch the glitter, and you realise that Ollywood has reams to crib about what is clearly a sorry state of affairs at present. After all, it has not been able to a make or break a record — except for adding to the huge number of films released across the year.
Much as with other film industries, Oriya cinema too initially harped on mythological stories. The first Oriya talkie was in 1936: the 12-reel Sita Bibaha . This trend continued for quite some time, till the fabric of the movies began relying on social and day-to-day issues. Films that made an impact in that category include Amada Bata , Nua Bou , Abhinetri and Mala Janha . Then, post 1990s, there was a paradigm shift in this trend. The directors started copying themes. Out came remakes and more remakes, with only a few exceptions here and there.
In between, there have been some meaningful movies. Quite a few have won national and international recognition. The latest is Prasanta Nanda’s Jianta Bhoota (2010) on tribal displacement. The first one that stood out in this category was Nirad Mohapatra’s Maya Miriga (1984).
“But things are not hunky dory,” says veteran Bijoy Mohanty. “While earlier drama based on emotions was all-important in movies, these days technical excellence is accorded more priority than the plot. Result: the audiences miss out on emotion.” He cites this as the reason for the “waning audience interest”.
Apart from themes, what is lacking is quality producers, who existed even until a few years ago. True, more people are investing these days, but the chief motive is quick money. “The good thing about the industry,” says filmmaker and music
director Raju Mishra, “is the quantity of films. That is the bad thing about it too. Now, we have builders and mining magnates putting money into films. What they are not bothered about is whether the film will appeal to the audience.” Mishra’s Dear Sir will soon premiere on OTV Tarang. “This film sums up the state of affairs in the industry today,” he said.
“The actors these days want overnight success,” says Mohanty. “So then their
approach lacks professionalism.” The number of cinema halls in the state is meagre. “The total number of movie houses in the state is less than normally found in a district down south. A villager wanting to watch a movie has to travel at least 60 or 70 km to get to a cinema.”
The first thing needed in the Oriya film industry is getting the right audience to the theatre. Says veteran character actor Debu Bose: “These days directors mix up the plot of two to three movies for one film. The producers want directors to lift themes from Hindi, Telugu and Tamil movies. The trend of remake was there earlier too, but then, it wasn’t that noticeable.” The latest remakes were Don and Diwana . Both were made in 2010 and bombed at the theatres.
While 2009 saw 18 movies made, 2010 saw 25 releases. But barring To Akhire Mu , Sanju O Sanjana , Swayamsiddha and Pahili Raja , hardly any achieved success. “Film is an expensive medium. Unless there are the right kind of patrons, this medium will suffer,” adds Mishra.
From one film in 15 years (after Sita Bibaha , it took 15 years to make Lalita ), to more than 15 films in a year, the industry has come a long way. What it can take comfort in over these 75 years, are the legends and masterpieces it has created. Be it actors Prasanta Nanda, Mahasweta Ray, Uttam Mohanty, Bijoy Mohanty and Aparajita or music directors Balakrushna Das, Akshaya Mohanty and Shantanu Mohapatra, directors Basant Nayak, Mohammed Mohsin or singers Prafulla Kar, Sikander Alam and Arati Mishra, the industry salutes these people and many more who have etched their mark on the history of cinema. “Feeling proud is fine and celebrating with grandeur is also welcome,” says Bose. “But, making the present and the coming years memorable is equally important for the industry.”
— kasturi@expressbuzz.com