31st Odisha State Film Awards To Be Presented Today In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: After being mired by controversies, the 31^st Odisha State Film Awards will be presented at a ceremony being organised at Utkal Mandap in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

Similarly, the 8^th State Tele Awards will be given away at the same venue on Tuesday. The department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture has made elaborate arrangements for the two-day event being organised by the Odisha Film Development Corporation (OFDC), sources said.

While Tourism and Culture Minister Ashwini Patra is slated to inaugurate the Odia film award giving ceremony at 6.30 pm, Science and Technology Minister Ashok Chandra Panda will be the Chief Guest at the event on Monday.

It may be noted here that the Orissa High Court had last month nullified the 31st Odisha State Film Awards for 2019 declared by the state government in November 2021.

Thereafter, the authorities had decided to prepare a fresh list. The HC had asked the authorities to publish a fresh list of nominations in accordance with the rules that govern the procedure within a month by excluding two movies, which are not original works.

“Movies – ‘Khusi’ and ‘Golmal Love’ – shall not be considered for any award category in the fresh list,” the court had held.

Odia film director Bobby Islam had challenged the legality of the selection list on grounds that it violated Odisha State Awards for Films Rules, 2010, after the selection list was published in November, 2021.