Oriya cinema is steadily transcending regional and national borders. While song sequences are being shot abroad in picturesque locations, actors and technical crew are imported from Bollywood, Chennai and Kolkata. Most importantly, around 25 Oriya feature films were released in the first ten months of 2011. All this would perhaps have painted a pretty picture of the Orissa cinema scene, but hardly 10 per cent of the films released could shake the audience and fill the box-office coffers.
Amiya Pattnaik who has made the maximum number of commercial films for Orissa and has clinched a national award, disagrees. “This is a transitional phase. I am hopeful that things will improve in some time from now, with the creation of an alternate channel and government patronage.
Loafer starring Babusan and Archita, Chaatire Lekchi Tori Naa starring Sabyasachi and Barsha, Hero Prem Katha featuring Arindam and Priya, Kie se Dakuchi Keunthi Mote with Anubhav, Varsha and Bijay Mohanty surprisingly, drew a packed house. Not so surprisingly, movies from the elitist and recognised camp of significant filmmakers badly bit the box-office dust. These are Susant Mani’s Most Wanted, Tu Mora Girl Friend directed by Avatar Singh, 1-4-3 I Love You directed by Ashok Pati and Choudhary Bikas Das’ Mate Bohu Kari Nei Jaa.
Some relatively young filmmakers with promising promos on television channels raised a lot of expectations. Among these were Susant Mani’s Chocolate, about a love story between a college student Bunty (Babusan) and a cancer patient Jashmine (Archita )lavishly-mounted Mu Premi Mu Pagal directed By Sudhanshu Sahoo, Sanjaya Nayak’s Baisi Pahache Kheliba Mina and Rudra Naryan Mohanty’s directorial debut Tora Mora Katha Heba Chup Chap. Most of these films fell by the wayside because they lacked the X-factor that pulls the audience in, while some were released without any marketing or promos.
Ranjan Mishra’s E Mana Khoje Mana Tie, Biswa Bhusan Mohapatra’s Anjali and Nishikant DalBehera’s Family No 1 carried this quickie director’s signature and therefore, collapsed within a week of their release.
Keshab Rout, an eminent film producer admits, ‘’there is an urgent need for good and more cinema halls in Orissa for promoting Oriya cinema.’’
Some films released during the first half of the year like Kemiti A Bandhan, Chori Chori Mana Chori, Mana Mora Prajapati, Prem weds Priya and Bandhan should never have been made at all since these were pulled out of the theatres within a week of their release. But the next of the year could be a roller coaster ride as many big releases of big stars are gearing up for their releases. So fasten your seat belts and grab a cup of popcorn while our movies take you on a roller coaster ride.
Despite flood, Orissa movie industry churned out films like Dosti Criminal, Chandini I Miss You and Balunga Toka, and all the four released during pujas showed considerably good result.