Bhubaneswar, April 6: Veteran filmmaker Sabyasachi Mahapatra, who recently won a national award, is preparing for the final film of the Sala Budha trilogy.

Mahapatra's last film, Aadim Vichar, the second in the trilogy, won him the national award this year.

Known for his Sambalpuri film Bhukha, Mahapatra ventured into films in this dialect for the second time with Sala Budha in 2012. While Bhukha was screened at the Gijon International Festival in Spain and won him international accolade, Sala Budha was screened at the International Film Festival of India in Goa in 2013. Last year, the film bagged seven awards, including the best actor award, at the state film festival.

The trilogy is based on a story written by Kapileswar Mahapatra, Sabyasachi's father. Set in the early 20th century Sonepur, the story explores the lives of peasants of that time.

Speaking to The Telegraph , Sabyasachi said: "I had made Bhukha in 1987. The film received international appreciation. I'm fortunate that my second attempt at Sambalpuri films is also getting great response."

The final film is titled Sala Budha Ra Badla. It will include the same characters as the previous two films. "The treatment of the film will again be the highlight, as I try to depict the crude reality of the society and give maximum emphasis on tradition and culture," said Mahapatra.

The plot will revolve around the wit and wisdom of Kondha Budha, played by Atal Bihari Panda, who received the best actor award for his portrayal of the lead role.

Shooting for the final episode of the upcoming film will begin this August, said Mahapatra.

The filmmaker said Sala Budha's treatment was light and had lots of humour while Aadim Vichar had a much more intense plot.

"There is no infrastructure to screen films of this genre. However, I can't just sit back and complain. I approach various groups for screenings. Such films need an educated audience, so that we can improve our filmmaking. I recently screened the film for junior and senior lawyers of the Orissa High Court Bar Association. I'm also screening it for viewers in west Odisha and then for various students and professional groups in the city," Mahapatra said.

Despite no financial support from the government, Mahapatra does not rue about the situation. "I'm lucky as my entire family gets involved when I make a film. That saves a lot of money. My father is the writer of this series and my son is the director of photography. I use local shooting spots, so that I get a chance to spend more on the technical quality," said Mahapatra.