ODIA FILM -IN TRANSITION

Oriya cinema has a serious following but needs a helping hand from the state govt to revive its glory years



Nageshwar Patnaik
          TALKING movies,the world doesnt end with Hollywood or Bollywood,for that matter.More often than not,regional language films have a diehard following,at times even more than your average Hindi flik.And in case you didnt know,a sizeable selection of this impressive ethnic collage emanates from Orissa,in the Odia language.Its been 75 years since the inception of the Oriya film industry or Ollywood,if you will.Its cinematic voyage had coincided with the formation of Odisha as a separate state way back in 1936 when Mohan Dev Goswami made the first Oriya talkie,Sita Bibaha for a then princely sum of Rs 30K.Inspired by the Ramayana,the film was about the marriage of Sita with Ram.

But the pace of Odia film production has been slow.After Sita Bibaha,only two films,Lalita and Shree Jagannath were produced till 1951.Subsequently,the Roles to Eight was produced the same year.Curiously,it was the first Odia film with an English name.

But with some 500-odd titles under its belt,Odiya cinema has come a long way.If the 60s were a period of struggle,the 70s was the turning point when people started flocking the halls where these low-budget but arty films were being screened.By the 80s,which proved to be the golden age of Orissas cinematic odyssey.Thats when the maximum number of films hit the market and did fairly well in the box office too.In many ways,these films reflected Orissas cultural ethos.Some of the most compelling works transpired in the 60s and the 70s when famous novels of noted writers were transformed into cinema.Matira Manisha directed by Mrinal Sen,Malajanha by Nitai Palit,Kaa by Sidharta,Amadabata by Khitish Maitra and Kaveri by Govind Tej,to name a few.

The 80s was the birth of the Odia new wave cinema.Thats when directors like Manmohan Mohapatra and Nirad Mohapatra came up with a string of realistic masterworks.The FTIItrained Nirad Mohapatras Maya Miriga,which was made in the early 80s,hit the headlines when it won a national award as the second best feature film in the country.Manmohan Mohapatra too received numerous national and international awards for his cinematic works.

Directors like Pranab Das,Biplab Ray Choudhary,Mumbai-based cameraman AK Bir,Santanu Mishra to Susant Mishra were connoisseurs of new wave films.State-owned Orissa Film Development Corporation (OFDC) also played a pivotal role in promoting the Odia New Wave.

Lamentably,there was a marked decline in the quality of Odia films in the 90s.The trend continues even today.There is no Odia cinema anymore.Today,films are made in Odia;they are technically sophisticated too.But story wise,we are largely plagiarising films from other languages.Earlier,the films showcased the states cultures,its traditions.Weve lost our sense of identity in that sense, rues veteran actor,Bijya Mohanty.

Mr Mohanty,a product of the celebrated National School of Drama in Delhi,has played diverse roles in over 180 films.He has acted in Oriya,Bengali,Hindi and Telegu films and is the recipient of numerous coveted national awards.

Mr Mohanty,who is also advisor to the Orissa Cine Artist Association,is critical on the role of OFDC.Entertainment is our birth right.Earlier,film makers from five neighbouring states were coming to shoot,edit and process their films at Kalinga Studio.But those days are gone,and the government has done precious little to revive the sick OFDC and Kalinga Studio, he says.

According to Orissa Film & Television Producers Association president Amiya Patnaik,Odia films have a strong following but their production is often hamstrung by dismal infrastructure.We have only 70 centres and half of the district headquarters dont even have a cinema hall.Even existing halls are in terrible shape.In 2010,at least 30 films will be released,which is nearly twice the number last year.But where are the halls for screening these films he asks.