Bhubaneswar: Odia film ‘Lahari’ will be screened at the upcoming Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM 2025), scheduled to be held in Australia from August 12-24.
Aamir Khan will be the chief guest at the festival, where a special retrospective will celebrate his iconic film career. His latest film, ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’, will be screened at the event.
The festival also provides a global platform for regional films to connect with international audiences.
“It’s a great feeling to have this festival selection, more so because not many of my films would have reached the Australian viewers. I have been closely following this festival for years and it has a great reputation worldwide. I hope ‘Lahari’ will strike the right chord with the film lovers attending the festival,” said Amartya Bhattacharyya, the director, writer, cinematographer and editor of the film.
‘Lahari’ had its World Premiere at the 30th Kolkata International Film Festival.
The film is a poignant and visually captivating tale of friendship, fatherhood, and coming-of-age, set against the serene backdrop of Odisha’s eco-tourism. The story follows the lives of the central characters as they navigate the complexities of relationships, personal growth, and the challenges of life in a rapidly changing world.
The cast includes Choudhury Jayaprakash Das, Choudhury Bikash Das, Dipanwit Dashmohapatra, Smruti Ranjan Mahala (child artist), Susant Misra, Swastik Choudhury, and Zeinab Doer, alongside a range of prominent names from the Odia film industry.
The film has been produced by Jhilik Bhattacharjee. Music has been composed by Kisaloy Roy, with vocals by Gaurav Anand and Navya Jaity, while sound design is helmed by Anindit Roy and Adeep Singh Manki.
“I am overwhelmed to see Lahari travelling to Australia. It is an absolute honour to showcase our film at such a prestigious film festival. I hope many from the Indian film fraternity, including the chief guest of this year, gets a chance to watch our Odia film,” said Jhilik.