Bhubaneswar: “Everybody seems to be talking about this new film from Odisha, I am yet to see it. I am forgetting the name. In fact, Prashant Neel told me about the film,” Prithviraj Sukumaran, actor-director-producer in Malayalam cinema, said during the first-ever pan-India The Filmmakers’ Adda hosted by Anupama Chopra.
He further said: “Prabhas keeps telling me this, we sit here talking of Hindi, Telegu, Tamil and Malayalam, for all you know, the next 500-crore film may come from Odisha or Assam.”
They are capable, said legendary actor Kamal Haasan.
“You need to do one more session on the eastern intellect of cinema. I did not even know that there was a person called Ratan Tiam. Brilliant, unexplored minds waiting there to come into cinema,” he added.
2022 saw filmmaker Debi Prasad Lenka’s ‘DAMaN’ and ‘Pratikshya’ by Anupam Patnaik breathe a new lease of life into Ollywood, which has long starved of original content. These films have also been released outside the state.
The year also saw some independent filmmakers are also creating waves with films like ‘Adieu GODARD’, ‘Four‘ and ‘Gang of Puri’.
Notably, Shekhar Kapur was all praise for Odia film ‘Hello Arsi’ directed by late Sambit Mohanty, which was adjudged Best Feature Film in Odia and won awards for Best Screenplay, and Special Mention at the 65th National Film Awards.
“You won’t believe among the special mention is an Odia film. It is called ‘Hello Arsi. One of the best performances by a girl, I have seen for a long time,” he said.
He was not only bowled over by Ollywood actress Prakruti Mishra’s brilliant performance, the storyline of the movie equally impressed him. “If I try to make this (film), I will fail. I have never seen a film like this, whether in Cannes, Berlin or anywhere in India.”
Mohanty, who died shortly after filming, posthumously won a Rajat Kamal award for Best Screenplay (Dialogue).
