Bhubaneswar, June 7: With Raja festival round the corner, film producers are cashing in on the festive mood to release new movies.

This year, as many as three films will hit the theatres during the festival that is touted as the film season when Odia movie buffs throng cinemas.

Superstar Anubhav Mohanty's Agastya will lock horns with the films with younger heroes of the industry. Premare Premare, starring Arindam Roy and Seetal, and Love Station featuring Babushan and Elina Samantray, will also hit the theatres.

Produced by Akshay Parija, Agastya is set with the backdrop as the underworld. Anubhav, whose last release Gote Sua Gote Sua did average business in the market, is hopeful that the Raja release will "break the stereotype of regional remakes in the Odia film industry".

"I am playing a dark character in the film and it has a realistic treatment to it. It is a romantic thriller and has a lot of things to watch out for," said the actor.

Film enthusiasts have already accepted the music of the film with one of its songs - Dhire Dhire - crossing one lakh views on YouTube in two weeks.

Directed by K. Murali Krishna, the film also stars Jhilik Bhattacharjee and Akash Das Nayak in other major roles.

Sudhanshu Sahu-directed Premare Premare is a musical love story and the makers are promising an entertainer.

"The film is packed with drama, emotion, music and action. Other big-budget films are also releasing at the same time but we are not too bothered about profits. If the film is good, people will not mind watching this and other films too," said the director.

The film is produced by Sitaram Agrawal and stars Aparajita Mohanty and Mihir Das in other leading roles.

Love Station is a romantic comedy produced by Tarang Cine Production. Directed by Ashok Pati, the film also stars popular comedian Pappu Pom Pom and Salil Mitra. The film is also being promoted as a family entertainer.

" Agastya definitely has an edge this year owing to its star cast and the serious storyline. But the other two films are out-and-out mainstream entertainers and that is what people want during the festivals. It is going to be a tough fight," said Sabyasachi Rout, a film enthusiast.

"Raja is one of the most prominent Odia festivals and so, producers aim to release their films during this time despite the state grappling with the problem of the dearth of film theatres," said film distributor Swagat Kar.

The state has only around 80 cinemas with six of them in Cuttack and seven in Bhubaneswar.