BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday advised the Ollywood fraternity to maintain aesthetic excellence and originality in Odia films.
Speaking at the 25th State Film Awards function here, Naveen said today’s Odia films do not reflect the rich culture and heritage of Odisha. “Films are the most powerful medium for bringing about social change. Sadly, our film industry is yet to realise it as the films that are being made today are neither relevant to Odia society nor reflect the State’s culture and heritage,” the Chief Minister said and added that there is a lot of influence of other film industries on Ollywood, which is not good.
He lauded the efforts of filmmakers Sarada Prasanna Nayak and Sabyasachi Mahapatra, director of ‘Sala Budha’, in taking Odia films to great heights.
He presented Jaydev Puraskar, the lifetime achievement award for contribution to Odia film industry, for 2013 to Sarada Prasanna Nayak and Mohan Sundar Dev Goswani Samman for Best Film besides Best Director Award to Sabyasachi Mahapatra for his movie ‘Sala Budha’ (The Stupid Oldman). Made in Sambalpuri language, the movie is an attempt to show the plight of elderly people in villages of Western Odisha. Sala Budha’s 83-year-old protagonist Atal Bihari Panda received the Best Actor Award and Archita got the Best Actress Award for her role in movie ‘ACP Sagarika’.
Mahapatra’s Sala Budha bagged State Film Awards in Best Costume, Best Music and Art Direction categories as well. Pankaj Jal and Ghasiram Mishra shared the Best Music Director Award (Bala Krushna Das Samman), while singers Ira Mohanty (Mu Raja Tu Rani) and Ratikanta Satpathy (Rumku Jhumana) got the awards for Best Singer (Female) and Best Singer (Male) respectively.
Among others, Culture and Tourism Minister Ashok Panda, Tourism and Culture Secretary Arvind Padhee, MPs Siddhant Mohapatra, Anubhav Mohanty, Prasanna Patsani were present.