: Movies, Music More #IndiaNEWS #Feature At a time when ardent followers are gradually shying away from watching mainstream Odia films, a team of young filmmakers managed to run a houseful show at

Posted in: #IndiaNEWS #Feature #KRC2022

Movies, Music More #IndiaNEWS #Feature
At a time when ardent followers are gradually shying away from watching mainstream Odia films, a team of young filmmakers managed to run a houseful show at their short film festival.

Do you remember when viewers were last seen standing in queue at a theatre to watch an Odia movie in Bhubaneswar? Given the kind of reputation mainstream Odia films have in recent years, it’s difficult to recall. However, a group of young movie maniacs charted an unusual route to draw the audience to the theatres.
Last week, they presented a ticketed show comprising a series of six indie short films of different flavours at Idcol Auditorium in Bhubaneswar. The hall was chock-a-block with many enthusiasts waiting outside to get an entry. The event, titled Kalpana Ra Collage, said to be the first Film Mela of original movies, was a grand success with its hashtag #KRC2022 trending all over the social media even now.
The event was organised by Odians Originals in association with United Misfits and local streaming platform AAO NXT.
Actor Partha Sarathi Ray speaks to the audience
This was an attempt to revive the dying reputation of the Odia film industry, said Sumit Panda, one of the organisers.
“Organising a ticketed show of six indie shorts is no mean feat that too in Bhubaneswar and making it houseful is another level which requires a lot of belief and teamwork. Kudos and congratulations to the organizers,??? said actor, producer Swastik Choudhury who was present in the viewers’ gallery.
Tapas Ranjan Rout, whose short film Utsav recently bagged the top honour at a Unicef-sponsored short film festival, was mightily impressed with the initiative.
“People who rue original films are not made in Odia language may have to eat their words, had they been present at this screening. It was not just a collage, but a cocktail of movies, music, interaction and anecdotes,??? said Rout in his reaction.
Indeed, Kalpana Ra Collage was not just about screening of movies. The cast and crew of the movies came on stage to share their experience during the making of their films and responded to the audience queries.
That’s not all. Popular playback singers Gaurav Anand and Bunny Mohanty, with their soulful rendition, regaled the audience between the screenings.
Asked what made them take such a plunge, Sidharth Goutam, a corporate film director and one of the key members of the team said, “Of late, when people were a little unhappy with the commercial Odia cinemas, some young minds including a few of us attempted to present something fresh to the viewers through short films. Then we thought if a series of short stories compiled into a book can make a good read, why can’t we knit some selected short films into a package to entertain the audience.