Orissa Cinema

From Afar

A weekly column by
Sahasranshu Mahapatra, New Delhi

A news report on an alleged crime involving a lead actor of Ollywood, a debate, by many people from all walks of life, on the blogsphere and a relentless, patient effort by the editor to prove his stance– are what all this website witnessed since last one month. The story on Chandan Kar (Babu I Love You fame) has drawn 34 comments so far and perhaps many more are on the way. It might have kept this website abuzz or drawn much clicks on the pages of this site but definitely not in good taste.

It is not new for the friends and relatives to defend an accused. It is also sure for the feminists to raise voice against a dowry torture. But to my knowledge this story drew such attention because of involvement of a budding Ollywood star. Had it been about a common man, would it have raised such fierce exchange of words? Many dowry cases are being reported everyday in Orissa. How many of us are raising our voices either for the accused or for the victim?

In the due process the blog page witnessed many serious questions on media ethics, judicial system of this country, media trial, crime against the weaker sex and so on. But what all forgot is its impact on Ollywood, the industry of which the accused Chandan Kar is an integral part. Did we bother to think what will be the impact of this incident on an industry which seriously needs an image make over. What will be the impact of the newcomers those who are dreaming of a career in this show world. Perhaps these are the questions the editor of this website wanted to address, but in a very subtle manner.

It was a crisis for the Oriya film industry to find new talents. The same heroes or heroines and few actors ruled the silver screen for Oriya audience for decades. Be it Gaur Prasad Ghosh, Babida, Prashant Nanda, Bijaya Mohanty, Uttam Mohanty, Sriram Panda, and Mihir Das as the protagonists or Dukhiram Swain, Hara Patnaik, Rai Mohan, Ashru Mochan as the baddies- the Oriya audience were habituated with these few faces on the silver screens. Some of them are still ruling the space in the world of light and shades. Thanks to the television boom that paved the way for young talents to make it big in the Oriya filmdom. In late 1990s some young talents slowly made their entry into this highly closed world of film making. The result is quite visible with the emergence of Siddhant, Sritam, Pintu Nanda, Abubhav as heroes and Mama, Ushashi, Anu, Jyoti, Barsa as heroines and many other young talents.

Unlike Bollywood or South Indian film industry the crime involving film personalities is hardly heard in Orissa. The lone incidents of such stature must not rattle the future of the budding artists. If such debates goes on then definitely the newcomers would seriously contemplate on their every move before entering to Ollywood. The worst fear is that the largely conservative Oriya society may take a negative note of such incidents which in turn might bring bitter experiences in the social life of the budding artists. The same week there was news on the website of a crime involving Siddhant, the most celebrated hero of the present Ollywood. There was not a single word on Siddhant’s traffic rule violation. But did Chandan’s story have this attention because of it was a case of dowry harassment.

Chandan may be released tomorrow free from all charges. He may settle well with his wife forgetting all past and finally he may become the demigod of silver screen for Oriya audience. Nobody can rule out any possibility.

Folks! Before jumping into any conclusion or any such debates we must not forget that it’s the Ollywood image what matters above all.

From Afar

A weekly column by
Sahasranshu Mahapatra, New Delhi

In a world of filmmaking the allegations of copy right violation and stealing of ideas or concepts are not new. World’s largest film producing industry Bollywood is also not free from this. The latest in the row is the Ram Gopal Verma’s remake of GP Sippy’s superhit ‘Sholay’. Though this kind of allegations are not prominent in Oriya film industry but the recent release ‘Ea Mana Manena’ has drawn attention of many outside theatres for its alleged ’stolen’ storyline. The producer of this film, Bhubaneswar based Maa Bhavani Productions, has been facing a legal battle against Hyderabad based Prasad Productions Pvt Ltd.

The south Indian production house has accused the Oriya producer of stealing the story idea from its Telugu blockbuster ‘Arya’. At first instance it may seem to be a simple matter of copyright violation against an Oriya producer. But in a broader scenario the issue is much more serious. Perhaps it is the failure of an industry (Ollywood) to create an identity and to build a reputation. This reflects that Oriya film industry still struggles to garner respect and support outside Orissa.

Even having talents, technical efficiency and a conducive market atmosphere, why Oriya film industry is still reeling under serious accusations of loosing creativity and innovation in content? Perhaps the time has reached for us to seriously contemplate on this question. In my view the real culprit is the ‘lack of ideas’. We are lacking in new concepts or innovation and thus allowing others to point fingers at us. Some of the filmmakers just want to be a part of the flow and others who have the potential to emerge with innovation lack the trust of producers.

Perhaps the time has reached to think out of box and establish an empire of own creativity in the highly creative world of celluloid business.

It was spirituality which ruled the screen in the early days of filmmaking in Orissa. Then came the stories which talked of feudalism in society, serious consequences of caste system and other social evils. For decades the family feuds, the protagonist against the evil and romance in the backyard kept Oriya audience indulged in pure entertainment. The Saas-Bahu sagas also dragged the audience to the theatre for sometime. Now the time has reached to look beyond making of this protagonist or ‘they lived happily ever after’ cinemas.

The love triangles and running around the tree will no more be interesting for the metro bound ambitious young generation of Orissa. The highly aspiring young generation with a never say a die spirit will hardly show any interest in the current Ollywood products. With Bollywood films making way to our drawing rooms every day, the filmmakers should understand the pressure.

The changing socio-economic scenario, emergence of nuclear families and the difficulty of the present generation to hold to their roots are some of the subjects which need much attention from the directors to begin a new phase of filmmaking. In the changing scenario the stories like that of ‘Hakim Babu’ may not be appropriate one but the constant pressure on the tribals to hold to their roots due to the rising urbanization would provide enough substance for a good cinema these days. The highly ambitious young generation and the woes of city bound village lads need to be deliberated upon than the stereotype college love stories. Dowry deaths, child abuse, growing criminalisation in the urban set up are some of the new are some of the areas which should be looked into besides the Saas-Bahu stories or ‘Sahar Jaluchhi’ type gangster themes. The Oriya literary heritage can also open up its treasure box for new age auteur.

It is true that keeping the Oriya audience in mind the stories of Ollywood films can’t go Bollywood way. The constraint of financial support also restricts the industry to go on a widespread experimentation on subjects. At the same time the Oriya filmmakers should not forget that the populist approach or on screen expose alone will not work to attract the new generation cine goers.

The present generation of producers and directors need to think beyond the ‘formula’ and emerge with innovative ideas, which can be projected as our own and help to build the reputation for the industry as well.

From Afar

A weekly column by
Sahasranshu Mahapatra, New Delhi

“A good story well told cuts across all boundaries”— once said the Oscar nominated director Mira Nair. This also holds good for Sabyasachi Mahapatra’s new film ‘Jai Jagannath’. A seasoned director like Mr Mahapatra has roped in on the legendary story of the great devotee ‘Shriya Chandaluni’ (the divine sweeper) to attract the audience across the country as well as abroad. This version of the story is different in many ways from its initial celluloid version. The ‘Jai Jagannath’ team includes famous names of Oriya film industry Sadhu Meher, Sarat Pujari, Sritam and Jyoti Mishra. This is going to be the first Oriya film to be released in 13 other languages besides Hindi and English. Bollywood bigwig Bharat Shah has pumped money into it and Adlab Films is releasing it all over the country.

Anybody from Orissa is well aware of the story of ‘Shriya Chandaluni’ and Lord Jagannath. But this story is not a mere depiction of an Oriya scripture of ‘Laxmi Puran’ . Beyond the religious belief the story has two distinct features– casteism and glorification of a woman (wife) in a Hindu family. This story also narrates the women empowerment, abolition of caste system—at least in the temple and the importance of a woman in one’s family life. This is enough to attract the non-Oriya audience. Association of Bharat Shah as well as Adlab Films with the project substantiates the fact that a good story, well narrated, has all the potential to spin money in the glamour world.

After ‘Bhuka’ Sabyasachi Mahapatra has again banked on the well known scripture of ‘Laxmi Puran’ to garner a pan-Indian audience support for Oriya cinema. The efforts of Mr. Mahapatra and his team seems to be very promising but the question of the moment is whether this is the beginning of a new era for the Oriya film industry or the quest for resurgence of the original Oriya films will still stretch far? But everything will depend on how far the film stands upto the litmus test of the box office collection.

Industry insiders have no hesitation in accepting that the new age filmmakers are largely dependent on Bangla, Telugu or Bollywood films for new ideas. There is largely a crisis of new and innovative ideas in the film industry in Orissa. Can the industry now rope in on Oriya literary heritage to save its status which has reached at the verge of ‘identity crisis’ in terms of content ?

Unfortunately recent Ollywood has not witnessed many cinematic adaptations of literary works. The money minded producers have never thought of taking a risk. Those who dared to tell heart touching stories on celluloid have often been cornered as the ‘art filmmakers’. Their films have failed the box office test though they have created an identity for the Oriya film industry across the globe. At the same time, stalwarts like Raju Mishra, Amiya Patnaik, Ravi Kinnagi , Sisir Mishra and Hara Patnaik have been trying to explore new avenues in commercial cinema but the crisis of establishing an Oriya identity in celluloid world is still looming large.

One must not forget that Orissa has witnessed many celluloid adaptations of literary works. The list is quite elegant with the master pieces like Kaa, Badhunirupama, Adina Megha, Amada Bata, Matira Manisha, Abhimana, Adimimansha, Maya Miriga, Kaberi, Subarna Sita, Aranyaka, Chha Mana Atha Guntha, Lakshmira Abhisara, Gare Sindura Dhare Luha and many more. People like Manmohan Mahapatra, Nirad Mahapatra, Himanshu Khatua and Sabyasachi Mahapatra have been trying to bridge the gap between commercial cinema and art cinema, while delivering some excellent products of this popular art form. But whenever it comes to the reputation of the industry we are losing to an infamous belief of borrowing ideas from our neighbors.

Perhaps it is the time to introspect and to invest a sustained effort to reinstate that lost glory of Ollywood. We Oriyas have a rich cultural and literary heritage which can be transformed into exemplary celluloid saga. The need of the hour is to have a look within and an honest desire to create own Oriya identity in this world of light and shades.

Veteran Sabyasachi Mahapatra has shown the way and let us hope the new comers will reestablish the lost glory following same path.

From Afar

A weekly column by
Sahasranshu Mahapatra, New Delhi

“Now FM (Frequency Modulation) mobile phones and radio sets are on high demand in Bhubaneswar.”

This was the information from my friend, on his maiden visit to Delhi recently. This has made me little more enthusiastic about the entertainment business in Orissa. This shows that the FM radio, within a month of its launch since May, is slowly emerging as a big business in the twin city of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, the entertainment heartland of Orissa. I think the FM radio has reached at a right time to provide the healing touch to a bereaved industry, still struggling with the aftermath of the 1999 Super cyclone.

Being a highly localised medium, FM radio stations come up with lot of promises for the state, be it employment or business. If the results of other metro cities are to be believed then Ollywood will also not be far from minting money in collaboration with the radio industry in the state. But everything will depend on how the Ollywood insiders are ready to tap these opportunities.

As the employment and business opportunities expand in the twin city, the immediate beneficiaries will be the artists, technicians, producers and musicians. Being largely driven by the film music the producers and music composers will have a fair chance to encash on their old musics by selling of radio rights. The advertising industry will also widely depend on the scriptwriters, artists, musicians and audio studios for the production of radio jingles. This slowly will open up round the year business opportunity for the concerned sections in the industry and so as the better earning.

Being a personal medium the radio has an immense potential to create an instant appeal and mass awareness. The film producers in the state should now learn to collaborate with a new medium like radio for the publicity of the films. The collaboration for braodcasting of Mahurats, live shoots and premiere shows will create mass awareness among the audience. This in turn will draw more cine-goers to the theatres. The radio partnership has become a successful formula for the Bollywood producers and the result is quite distinct in the south as well. So this is the time for Ollywood producers to take a cue from their Bollywood counterparts.

The opportunities also comes with responsibilities and challenges. Be it television, radio or film the growing competition and expanding business have always taken serious toll on content. To mint easy money the producers often adopt the populist approach which may not work for a family centric audience base in Orissa. The responsibility before the Oriya film industry will be not to succumb to the pressure of a highly demanding business and the growing competition while delivering the same quality content acceptable to the Oriya viewers. The challenge will be to meet the demand of a more enthusiastic,alert and aware audience as radio will create a mass appeal towards film in Orissa.

Orissa witnessed its first ever FM radio station with the launch of Choklate FM this April by the Esasern Media Pvt Ltd. The big players in the industry like Reliance owned Adlab’s Big FM( 92.7 MHz) has entered the Orissa market and the latest to join the fray is the South Indian media leader Sun group with S FM (93.5 MHz). This adds to the credibility of Bhubaneswar as the emerging entertainment business hub in Eastern India. If media reports are to be believed the All India Radio’s FM channels Rainbow and Gold will also be available in Orissa soon. Like the other metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata, no doubt the FM radio will have a significant impact on the show business in the state.

This is just the beginning and emerging scenario seems to be quite glossy. But the future will mostly depend how the Big brothers of Ollywood channelise every possibility into a success story. But the caution must not be ignored while jolting down the stories of the achievers. That not the ’sibling rivalry’ as prominently noticed in this industry but cordial relationship will prove healthy for both film and FM radio business in the state.

All the Best Ollywood friends!

From Afar

A weekly column by
Sahasranshu Mahapatra, New Delhi

A song on a TV Channel caught my attention one evening. The song was from Hara Patnayak’s latest ‘Pagal Premi’ on the ETV Oriya channel. An Oriya song picturised on the roof top of a moving train and depicting the specialties of various places of Orissa was enough to attract the eyeballs of a film enthusiast from Orissa staying in Delhi.

But all enthusiasm faded away as the song continued. It suddenly reminded me of a popular Bollywood chartbuster. This song seemed to be a mere Oriya imitation of the AR Rahman composed ‘Chal Chaiya Chaiya’ from Mani Ratnam’s critically acclaimed ‘Dil Se’ (1997). There were many similarities between the two songs starting from costume to picturisation to the composition with a Rajasthani folk choreography.

Few days latter, after going through some stories on the film ‘Pagal Premi’, the grim picture turned to be a hopeful beginning. The much cherished on-screen badman of Ollywood, Hara Patnaik, has been criticized for being an expensive director. And yet his unmatched for quest of innovation and a consistent effort to explore the new possibilities has created some hope in last few years for the Oriya film industry. This song in the in the film ‘Pagal Premi’ is surely a bold step and talks of a lot of promise for the yet to be explored possibilities in the celluloid journey of the Oriyas.

Orissa is slowly emerging as a strategic location for film business in eastern region of the country. People involved with film business have started considering Bhubaneswar at par with Kolkata as the budding business centre. In this case the directors , producers, artists, technicians and all those who involved in this show-biz-world have to look beyond mere imitation or adoption of the Hindi or other language films in Oriya.

We must not forget that the Oriyas had created their identity in the celluloid world (Sita Vivah -1934-35) before establishing the geographical identity of Orissa as a state. We have a heritage of literature and culture which can be transformed into interesting stories on celluloid.

The adaptation and imitation is always welcome in the creative world but it must carry the original Oriya flavour in it.

And finally, let us hope Hara Patnaik has put forward the step already and many more to follow.