Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has declared the winners of the 35th and 36th Odisha State Film Awards, honouring standout achievements in the Odia film industry for 2023 and 2024.
Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj made the announcement at Sanskruti Bhavan, with the formal presentation ceremony scheduled for Friday (June 26).
For 2023, the Best Film award was jointly conferred on ‘Pushkara’ and ‘My Sweet Housewife’. The Best Director honour was shared by husband-wife duo Peenakee Singh and Sisir Kumar Sahu. Actor Harihar Mahapatra earned Best Actor for his performance in ‘Dho Re Babu Dho’, while Naina Dash Tiwari and Supriya Nayak jointly received Best Actress for their roles in ‘My Sweet Housewife’ and ‘Pushkara’, respectively.
In the 2024 category, ‘Ashram’ claimed the Best Film title. Ashok Pati was named Best Director for ‘Pabar’. Babushaan
Mohanty was picked as Best Actor for ‘Pabar’, and Debjani Deghuria as Best Actress for ‘Bhagia Bharija’.
Additional acting recognitions included Best Negative Role/Villain awards for 2023 to Choudhury Bikash Das (Katak: Sesha Ru Arambha) and Pinky Pradhan (Dho Re Babu Dho), and for 2024 to Hara Rath (Vote) and Usasi Misra (Kemiti Ei Samparka).
The prestigious Mohan Sundar Dev Goswami Award for lifetime contribution to Odia cinema went to veteran actor and filmmaker Shyamalendu Bhattacharya for 2023 and to acclaimed actress Namrata Das for 2024.
A jury headed by noted filmmaker Pranab Das selected the winners. Minister Suryabanshi Suraj congratulated the winners and expressed confidence that the awards would encourage the production of quality Odia films rooted in social relevance, cultural values, and meaningful storytelling, thereby strengthening the state’s film industry.
Senior officials from the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department, including Secretary Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya and Odisha Sahitya Akademi Secretary Chandra Sekhar Hota, attended the announcement.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi extended his congratulations, stating that the artistic achievements bring pride to Odisha’s film industry. He highlighted the state’s vast cultural heritage and encouraged producers, directors, writers, and artistes to create more films based on original local stories. “I wish all the award winners continued success and a bright future,” Majhi posted on X.