Summary:
BY DN SINGH
.
The general perception about Odia Cinema is, broadly, disappointing. Even among the Odia cine goers, it is not that cheering.
So let us not hasten for a comparison with other regional films, where it gets dwarfed down to a kind of minnow.
What has surfaced is, blind imitations, mainly of Tamil or Telugu remakes or a few copy-paste of Bollywood ‘masala’.
Reasons can be many but the film but critics in this field mainly prefer to cite the lack of finance, technical know-how and a proper exhibition facility besides the constructive promotion of contents to woo the viewers.
That is the attitude on the part of the filmmakers.
And what is, perhaps, conspicuously absent is the intimate blend of the social fine distinctions and values that constitute the core Odia culture and lifestyles.
Plus the worrying dearth of inclusion of new thinking and innovations by plucking themes from within the lives and history.
Official Lethargy
Efforts by the administrative apparatus to support this industry have been found a bit wayward.
Neither there has been any serious brain-storming by the film fraternity itself nor has there been any concerted attempt by the supervising government apparatus to sync with the ground realities and breathe steam into this mediocrity.
There was an attempt a few years back to incorporate some quality technical upgradation and post production refinement through a joint venture with the Prasad Laboratory of Andhra Pradesh and the state-owned Kalinga Studio with a share equity pattern.