Bhubaneswar, Jan. 11: If Bajirao Mastani has captured your imagination, wait for one more and this time the period piece will be in Odia.
Odia superstar Anubhav Mohanty and producer Akshay Parija have come together to present the story of Buxi Jagabandhu, the leader of the Paika rebellion of 1817, on reel.
The film's mahurat was held at a star hotel here today and in attendance were a number of popular faces of the Odia film industry as well as political leaders.
Several Odia scholars consider the Paika mutiny as the first freedom struggle before Independence and even before the First War of Independence in 1857.
"Odisha is mostly known for its art and culture. Not much of its tales of revolution is known to the world. In fact, a number of people in the state itself wouldn't know about the Paika rebellion. Through the film, we want to showcase the glorious history of the warrior clans of the state, apart from Jagabandhu," said Parija, who has produced films such as Jianta Bhoota, Thukul and Kehi Nuhen Kahara.
The film involves a lot of visual effects, for which art directors and professional VFX artistes have been roped in. A special research team has also been formed.
"We have formed a team of seven people, who are researching on the subject. We have studied over 70 books from archives and are meeting historians to know more about the period," said Parija.
While not many period films have been made in Odia, this one that has been launched ahead of the 200th year of the Paika revolution is being considered significant by the film fraternity.
"This is a genre that lies unexplored in our industry. All of us should come forward and provide them the necessary help," said Odisha Film Development Corporation chairman Munna Khan, who also attended the event.
For Mohanty, the launch date of the film was significant as it marks his completion of 12 years in the industry.
"On this day I entered the industry, and it has been a very special journey. There could be no other way to celebrate the day other than celebrating a glorious past of my state. I will be reinventing myself in a completely different character in the film," said Mohanty, who was last seen in the film Jaga Hatare Pagha opposite Jhilik Bhattacharjee.
The launch, however, has invited criticism from various quarters, as the film's director is yet to be decided. But, the producer affirmed that the director would be of national repute.
"We are in talks with a number of eminent film-makers. We want the best in the field that have experience in film-making. We would shortly come up with a decision," said Parija. The shooting will start in two months, he said.
