Odia Film ‘Patnagarh’ In Legal Tangle Again, Dropped From Kolkata Film Fest

Bhubaneswar: ‘Patnagarh 23 Feb 2018’ will no longer be screened at the 25th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) scheduled to be held from November 8 to 15.

The movie is based on the parcel bomb explosion case of Patnagarh in Balangir district.

According to sources, the organisers decided to drop the screening of the movie after family members of Soumya Sekhar Sahu, who was killed in the blast, sent a notice to producer Siddharth Martha and director Rajesh Touchriver.

Soumya’s family members have alleged that neither the film’s director nor producer had informed them before filming it. They have also raised objection to the main accused in the case, Punjilal Meher, being portrayed as a ‘hero’ in the movie.

Made in Odia, Hindi and Telugu languages, the movie starring Manoj Mishra and Atul Kulkarni will hit theatres on November 8.

The parcel bomb case, which claimed two lives at Bholanathpada village in Balangir on February 23, had sent shock waves across the state. A newly-wed couple, Soumya Sekhar Sahu, his wife Rima Rani and grandmother Jemamani were grievously injured when a gift pack they were opening, exploded.

While Soumya Sekhar and his grandmother succumbed to injuries, Rima Rani was rushed to VIMSAR in Burla and later shifted to SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack.

Following a request from Rima Rani and her family, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered a Crime Branch probe into the incident. The Crime Branch took over the investigation on March 23 and arrested Punjilal on April 25, accusing him of plotting the blast over past enmity.