BHUBANESWAR: The Odia film industry is today witnessing a shift, from remakes to stories based on literature and everyday life. This is bringing people back to theatres.
Filmmakers Jagdish Mishra, Anupam Patnaik and Sabyasachi Mohapatra spoke about various aspects of this much-needed change at a session ‘Real Renaissance: Return of Originality and Craft to Odia Cinema’, which was moderated by director Susant Misra.
Odia films from 1936 to the 1970s, that were based on mythology and literature, saw a shift thereafter when directors began borrowing ideas from other film industries and remaking cinema, said Misra, who is the founder of BYOFF film festival. “The new age directors today broke this trend and began making films that clicked with people. But is it content-driven or a new style of filmmaking, we don’t know,” said Misra.
Mohapatra, who is a winner of three National Awards and has been making relevant films for the last four decades, said the shift is content-driven. “Although commercial films are the norm, there are filmmakers who still prefer to invest their time and money in original content. The renaissance is now happening in the Odia film industry because every filmmaker is trying to show original stories and it is a good sign for Odia cinema,” he added.
Patnaik, who won the National Award for ‘Pratikshya’, said the need of the hour is to make cinema which connects with people and is relatable. “When I came across Pratikshya, which is based on a story written by Gourahari Das, I felt everyone will relate to the problems of unemployment or a father-son relationship. I did ‘Karma’ last year which did very well in theatres and I also did Pratikshya which did not perform well commercially but it connected with everyone. I feel, if you do a commercial film, or a parallel movie or an artsy film, it has to connect with people,” said the director of Gangs of Puri.
Patnaik suggested that marketing of Odia films be explored by directors not just within India but in other countries too. “Our films should be made in a manner that our culture is showcased and people abroad can also connect with the stories,” said the filmmaker who is currently shooting his next ‘Mantra Mugdha’.
To a query if directors are the new stars in the film industry, Mishra who directed the blockbuster ‘Bou Buttu Bhuta’, said actors continue to be the stars of a film because they pull the audience and bring back the money that a producer has invested in the film. “In Odisha, directors being the crowd-pullers will be a reality very soon. But for that, we need to keep making films that have good and original content and prove ourselves in the box office. Our primary goal should be to make good films,” he added.