Watch ‘Patnagarh’ & Then Decide: Filmmaker To Victim’s Parents

Bhubaneswar: The makers of the much-anticipated crime thriller ‘Patnagarh’ landed in a soup after parents of the parcel blast victim lodged a complaint with police on Sunday alleging improper portrayal of characters in the movie.

Almost 90 per cent of the shoot for the movie based on a real-life incident has been completed with Durga Puja as its tentative release date. The complaint, however, has put a spanner on the works.

In an exclusive chat with Odisha Bytes, Sridhar Martha said the parents never contacted them.

“They have never contacted us neither did we. The unusual story of wedding parcel blast is out in the public with media tracking every step of the case leading to the arrest of the prime accused. It’s applaudable how Odisha Police tracked down the culprit,” he said.

Martha sees no harm in making a film based on the incident. “Our intention has always been to make good films that will receive appreciation at the national level. We never did anything to hurt anyone’s sentiments,” he said.

In response to the accusation by the family members that the culprit Punjilal Meher is being portrayed as a hero, Martha said, “Without having seen the movie, how can they make that statement? The incident has been in the newspaper and television for so many months and the general public is aware of the real story.”

The movie has Odia actor Manoj Mishra playing Punjilal and National Award winner actor Atul Kulkarni, Crime Branch IG Arun Bothra.

Through this film, the filmmakers want to propagate a message against anger. “In a fit of rage one can ruin one’s life and that of others’ and this story is a perfect example of the same. We request no disturbance in the making of the film,” Martha added.

Father of the deceased, Rabindra Sahu, had lodged a complaint with Patnagarh police against the producer and the director, objecting to the portrayal of Punjilal as a hero. He also expressed concerned over characterization of his family members in the movie.

He and his wife Sanjukta Sahu said that the movie might also impact the ongoing probe.

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