Bhubaneswar, Dec. 21: From the first look to the trailer to the release date of an Odia film, get exclusive updates on Facebook and other social media websites.
Keeping pace with the changing times, the Odia film industry has moved online too. Online promotion of films has emerged as the most effective and inexpensive way to reach out to the fans and create a hype.
With scores of Facebook pages and websites on the Odia film industry running actively, promotion of films has become an easier task.
Facebook pages and groups such as Olywood Now, Silver Screen Odisha, Odia Entertainment and Odia Live have a large number of followers. Websites such as FullOdisha, IncredibleOdisha and OdiaOne provide updates and news about latest releases.
The promotional platforms are mostly run by youngsters most of whom are fans of Odia films.
Nigam Nayak started the Facebook page, Silver Screen Odisha, last year.
"A number of good films are produced by our industry every year, but they fail to garner support due to a lack of publicity. So my friend and I started the page to promote upcoming films. We have a few friends in the film industry and in the media who help us gather information," said Nigam.
Actors and directors have started posting photographs during the shooting of their films on these social networking sites and websites, elevating the curiosity of the fans.
"The online platform is definitely the easiest way to reach out to the masses. They offer free promotion and most people nowadays are addicted to social networking sites. So it becomes easy to share your work and grab attention," said actor Sabysachi Mishra.
The cast and crew of Sabyasachi and Archita Sahu-starrer Pilata Bigidigala had posted pictures of exotic locations in Thailand where the film's song sequences were shot. The photographs gathered a large number of likes on Facebook and were shared a number of times.
Arindam Roy had started the promotion of his film Kalki with the announcement of the date of release online, months before the release of the film in November this year.
Arindam's fans went into a frenzy as his first look appeared, which was followed by a poster, a teaser and finally a trailer.
"I extensively used Facebook to promote the film, partnering with an Odia website, to let the audience have a glimpse of my film. It also creates a level of awareness and connection that you might not get just with running radio or TV spots," said the actor.
A number of other Odia films such as Hela Mate Prema Jara, Hello and Tu Kahibu Na Mun are also being promoted online.
Odia film actors and actresses have also become active users of the online medium. Many stars such as Babushan, Archita Sahu, Jhilik Bhattacharjee and Anubhav Mohanty, among others, have their personal accounts on Facebook and Twitter and keep updating about their latest releases.
