Bhubaneswar, July 25: Lord Jagannath has been an integral part of the cultural traditions of Odisha for centuries. The Lord also holds centre stage in many films that has been produced since 1936, the year that gave birth to the first Odia movie.

Interestingly, the presence of the Lord was evident from Lalita, the second Odia film that was screened in 1949. It depicted the earliest tales associated with the Jagannath temple at Puri. A dance sequence in the film portraying the tradition of the devadasis in the temple is remembered till this day.

After a gap of around 10 years, another film titled Shri Shri Mahalaxmi Puja was released, which showcased the tale of Goddess Lakshmi leaving the temple to teach brothers Jagannath and Balaram a lesson. The film received appreciation from the audience and was also released in Hindi.

Another film on the Lord that created waves across the state as well in neighbouring Bengal was Shri Jagannath. It was released in 1951. Renowned film director Kranthi Kumar made another film with a similar storyline and name in 1979. It created a record of running at cinemas for over 100 days and was also released in Bengali, Telugu, Tamil and Assamese.

The tale of saint poet, Bhakta Salabega, who was a great devotee of Lord Jagannath was made into a film in 1983 with Uttam Mohanty in the lead role. For actors who have played character roles in films related to the Lord, the experience is of a lifetime.

Veteran actor Debu Bose said: "The portrayal of Lord Jagannath is very strong in a number of Odia films. I am an ardent follower of the Lord and feel portraying various roles in films involving Him has brought me closer to divinity."

Bose is known for his portrayal of the character of King Indradyumna.

A number of other films like Bandhu Mohanty, Sakhi Gopinath, Nila Madhaba, Hisab Kariba Kalia, Kalki Avtar and Kotie Manisa Gotie Jaga are also related to Lord Jagannath and His siblings.

After 2000, no prominent films based on the tales of Lord Jagannath were released until Sabyasachi Mohapatra's Jay Jagannath in 2007. The film was released in 15 different languages, including a star launch at Mumbai by superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

Mohapatra, a staunch devotee of Lord Jagannath, said the film was a result of around 15 years of planning.

"I had to face a lot of hurdles before releasing the film. There were issues with the producers and the title. The script was also not getting finalised on time. Finally, the film was released on a grand scale and I felt euphoric being its director," said the filmmaker.

"I might have got great recognition with my latest films, but the film on the Lord gave me emotional fulfilment," said Mohapatra, who had directed films such as Adim Vichar and Sala Budha.

Veteran filmmakers feel there has been a sea change in perception among the audience and the interest in making films based on divinity is gradually decreasing.

"When films made an entry into the cultural scenario of the state, the attachment of the people towards the supreme power was high. So filmmakers made films on the subject to attract audience. With the advancement of technology, directors tried experimenting on the subject in accordance with the changed perception of the people and mythological and devotional films took a backseat," said filmmaker Gadadhar Puty.

"But, such films should still be made which acts as a teaching tool for the younger generations. Filmmakers should try different methods like 3D technology or animation to continue the tradition of making films surrounding the Lord," Puty said.

A number of films, irrespective of whether they are based on Jagannath cult or not, have songs based on the legends associated with the Lord and the Puri temple. Popular music directors such as Akshay Mohanty, Balakrushna Das and Prafulla Kar have composed a number of songs praising the Lord.

Recently, the state government took an initiative to portray the uniqueness of Jagannath culture through a documentary on the Nabakalebar festival and the various traditions related to the deities. The 90-minute film will be readied by September and will be screened at various theatres in March next year.