Smart Oriya films win back urban viewers

Article By: BIBHUTI BARIK
source: The Telegraph,Tuesday , July 6 , 2010

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The showers have drenched Oriya cinema with new hope this monsoon.

Once despondent over the regional film cinema scene, filmmakers are filled with fresh enthusiasm as the film scene has started looking up.

“Earlier, the theory was that Oriya movies were watched only by viewers in rural areas. But recent response from the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack is very encouraging,” said Sitaram Agarwala, the producer and owner of Sarthak Music. He said urban viewers seemed to be attracted by a “visible improvement in packaging, location selection, casting and camera work”.

Oriya film producers never make movies on an experiment basis, unlike their Bollywood counterparts, he added. “Perhaps it’s because that type of films might not be comprehended by many viewers here. But the main-streaming of Oriya film industry has already begun,” he said.

Agarwala’s production house is credited with the making of films like Akashe Ki Ranga Lagila, Abhimanyu, Pagala Karichi Paunji Tora and Ama Bhitare Kichi Achi.

Filmmaker Gadadhar Puty, of Puja Pain Phoolatie fame, said: “The fact that people of Orissa are taking interest in regional films is a good sign, but Oriya cinema should reflect Oriya culture, lifestyle and traditional ethos.”

“It is always a good time for good cinema,” he said, “So, we should not target festival occasions like Raja, Rath Yatra or Durga Puja to release films at one go.”

Udaykant Jha, the manager of Rajashree Productions, has been associated with the distribution business for past 26 years in the state. Jha said: “In Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, people are going back to theatres to watch Oriya movies. But from the business point of view, a lot of films releasing simultaneously is cause for worry. For example, there were four Oriya film releases during Raja in the twin cities. In terms of production it could be a good sign, but monetary return wise, it is not good, as the profit margin has to be shared by all four producers of the season.”

“There were fewer productions in the past, and so people used to throng theatres in large numbers. But now many movies are competing for a lower number of halls. These factors are complicating the situation,” Jha added.

Mahesh Parekh, of Parekh Enterprise, has been in the business of film distribution for more than a decade. He said: “Though good Hindi movies like Rajneeti have done quite well in the state, there is an increase in viewership in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar for Oriya movies.

While earlier the film-making budget was around Rs 30 lakh, people are now producing films worth over Rs 1 crore. But in rural areas and small towns, the infrastructure facilities for theatres are not up to the mark and that could be a reason why fewer viewers are turning up there.”

The condition of theatres in Cuttack is not good, he added. “So, 10 to 15 per cent of the film lovers flock to Bhubaneswar to watch films in comfort. Some theatre owners do not provide adequate levels of comfort in their halls. But there have been recent attempts by theatre owners in Bhubaneswar to provide better conditions. Similar provisions might have helped more viewers to come to theatres in Cuttack,” he said.

Sitaram Agarwal is still worried that the “elite and intellectual upper middle class are not coming to watch Oriya movies. But we are trying to make it happen through quality production”.

The secretary of Orissa Film Producers and Distributors Guild, Arun Mohanty said: “We don’t have more than two lakh viewers in the Twin Cities to view a hit movie. If it is super hit then not more than 3 lakh people will see it. If all the films are released on one occasion, profits will be less and many producers will have to face financial problems.” Filmmaker Chakradhar Sahu said: “There are some genuine filmmaking problems and Oriya films never eat away into the profit share of Hindi movies.”

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