Odia movies explore new horizons

What do Something…Something, Raja Jhia Sange Hei Gala Bhaba, Gud Boy, 143 I Love You have in common? They all are Odia movies that have been released in many cities outside Odisha. Kebe Tame Nahan Kebe Mu Nahin, starring Sabyasachi and Archita, is the latest addition to this growing list. In fact, the earlier successes of these Odia films in Surat, Bangalore or Hyderabad, have prompted Ollywood’s producers and directors to think of re-releasing some of their hit movies outside Odisha.
Says director Sudhakar Vasanth, whose movie Something…Something with Barsha Priyadarshini and Anubhav Mohanty was released in Bangalore, Surat, Kolkata, Chattisgarh, Hyderabad and Chennai, “There is a good market of Odia films in Bangalore since close to 16 lakh of Odias live there. After the release of Something…Something in Bangalore, I have received many calls from fans. They said they have loved the movie. We have already started getting requests to release Matric Fail in Bangalore. There is a huge demand to release Balunga Toka in Bangalore and some other cities. We’ve also decided to have the premiere of ACP Ranveer in Bangalore, one day before releasing it in Odisha. This is a positive sign. It shows the growth of our industry.”
Actors are equally excited about the fact that Ollywood is spreading its wings. According to Sabyasachi Mishra, whose “KTNKMN” was recently released in Bangalore, the response to the film has been overwhelming. “When we decided to release our movie in Bangalore, the hall owner initially gave us one show daily for a week. When the online booking started, three days of advance booking were completed in no time! We were pleasantly surprised with the response. The multiplex decided to extend the show for another week,” the actor says.
During the premiere, Sabyasachi was amazed to see so many people from Odisha at the venue. “Despite the IPL finals, they came down to meet us. It felt as if we were in Bhubaneswar and not Bangalore,” adds an excited Sabyasachi.
Not only in Bangalore, there are also a considerable number of Odia audiences in Hyderabad and Surat. Arindam Roy’s Raja Jhia Sange Heigala Bhaba will be released in these three cities. Says director Susant Mani, “After my film Chocolate received such a good response in Odisha, the distributors from Surat have called up the film’s producer and offered to release the film there. We are now in the process of releasing the film in Gujarat.”
His opinions are shared by Chocolate’s producer, Tuttu Naik, though he also raised doubts regarding the present scenario. As a parting shot, he says, “In Surat, there many Odia residents who work in cotton factories. They are the major audience for our Odia movies. But many of the standalone halls have been transformed to multiplexes now and the ticket prices have also gone up. These prices are affordable for the techies in Bangalore, but are too steep for the factory workers of Surat. Yet, there’s a good market in Surat and if I release my film there, I’m sure I’ll get my money’s worth.”
After B’lore, it’s Hyderabad
Why did director Chakradhar Sahu re-release his movie?
In an apparent move to have a broaden market for the Odia cinemas, director Chakradhar Sahu recently released his movie, Kebe Tame Nahan Kebe Mu Nahin in Bangalore. The flick, which was running in Odisha recently, had received a mixed response from the audience here.
Says Sahu, “Our cinema is usually confined to Odisha. Most of the elite crowd hesitate to watch movies due to lack of good theatres. I released my movie in Bangalore since a lot of educated people from Odisha have settled in that city. I am trying to continue the show for at least one week and then release it in Hyderabad as well,” Sahu adds. Bangalore-based Odias have liked the movie too. Says Priyabrat Pradhan, who works as a software engineer in Bangalore, “It’s really exciting to watch a movie in your own language when you away from home.
Jyoti Prakash Naik