By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:The state government is going to take several steps for the revival and development of the Odia film industry. In this context, in a special seminar organized at the Sanskriti Bhawan on Friday, Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi held important discussions with eminent personalities and artists from the film world on the current status and future of Odia cinema. On this occasion, he described Odia cinema as the identity of the nation and announced that a new ‘Film Policy’ will be formulated soon.
Elaborating on the true definition of cinema, the Chief Minister said that cinema is not just a medium of entertainment, but it is a true reflection of the memory, culture, emotions and spirit of a nation. He opined that a society that produces great cinema can strengthen its presence in the global arena.
Commenting on the popularity of Odia cinema, the Chief Minister said that Odia cinema should not be copied by anyone, but should find its own voice. He said that there are many basic themes like Lord Shri Jagannath and the Odia culture that has developed around him, the maritime history of Kalinga, tribal culture, stories of people’s struggle during natural disasters like cyclones and floods, the joys and sorrows of rural Odisha, the life of the Mahanadi and other rivers, etc. He opined that if a film is made on the basic themes linked to Odia life, it can attract the hearts of the people.
Expressing the need for a film training institute in Odisha to acquire skills in the field of filmmaking, the Chief Minister said that such an institute will be set up in Odisha.
Criticizing the past system for the decline of the film industry, he said that the previous government did not pay attention to this aspect, but now the government of Odia Asmiti has come. He clarified that now money will never be a barrier for the development of Odia films and a strong film infrastructure will soon be created in the state.
On this occasion, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryavansi Suraj said that the Odisha film industry will play an important role in the centenary year that Odisha is going to celebrate in 2036. He expressed full confidence that today’s conversation will lead our film industry in the coming days.
Kore MLA and actor Shri Akash Das Nayak, Digpahandi MLA and actor Shri Shiva Mohapatra, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Shri Shashwat Mishra, Director of Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department Dr. Vijay Ketan Upadhyay and Secretary of Odisha Sahitya Academy Dr. Chandrashekhar Hota were prominently present at the event.
Similarly, popular artists of the film world Anubhav Mohanty, Anu Chowdhury, Pushpa Panda, Harihar Mohapatra, Pinky Pradhan, producer Siddharth Agarwal and many other eminent personalities and film technicians participated in this discussion. The Chief Minister had a thorough discussion with all these artists and film workers on their various problems and promised to find permanent solutions to them.
