Bhubaneswar, Feb. 28: Orissa High Court has issued notice to the state government on a PIL seeking revival of Kalinga Studio in Bhubaneswar.
The court has posted the case for hearing next week. The state government has been asked to submit its reply on the status of the only movie making facility of the state.
A division bench of Chief Justice C. Nagappan, who was sworn in yesterday, and Justice Pradip Mohanty ordered issue of notice after suo motto registering a PIL on the basis of a letter.
Yesteryear actress and producer Saudamini Mishra, after reading a February 15 report published in The Telegraph, had written the letter to the chief justice about the neglect towards Kalinga Studio by the state government and had pleaded for judicial intervention.
The report mentioned that film actors Pappu, Anubhav and others had taken up the initiative to repair and restore the cottages in the studio since the authorities had turned a blind eye towards the facility.
From attacks by herds of elephants to lack of basic amenities like water and toilets, The Telegraph has described the condition of the studio in the report.
“When I read in The Telegraph that young actors were taking initiative to repair parts of the studio, I felt the attitude of the government was ridiculous. Why should these artistes make these efforts when it is the government’s duty? While the industries department is taking up so many projects and has enough funds, why can they not take up the responsibility to save the only film studio of the state?” Saudamini said today.
The studio had gone out of use because of lack of maintenance over the years, the letter petition alleged.
“The studio was built in front of our eyes and was doing so well. Prominent artistes and film-makers from all over the country used to come here. Odisha film-makers used to save a lot on the film’s budget by getting subsidised rates to shoot here whereas now they have to run to studios in the south. Kalinga Studio is one of the largest regional film studios in the country. It is painful to see it in a shambles. We are emotionally and sentimentally attached to it. That is why I wrote a letter to the chief justice and our fraternity is glad there has been such a quick response,” she said.
Established in 1982, jointly with Prasad Labs, Chennai, the entire stake in the studio was taken over by the Orissa Film Development Corporation (OFDC) in 1983.
Spread across 25 acres, Kalinga Studio was a major film shooting and editing centre in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, the editing unit lies locked while the equipment has been left dumped carelessly.
The video unit was demolished four years ago and the screening hall has been abandoned. Expensive machines and sets, including latest cameras, are in a sorry state.
Indoor shooting floors have been leased out to private television channels. Lack of facilities has made it unfeasible for film units to shoot at the studio despite budget crunches.
