Odisha jatra world in turmoil after backstage altercation among artistes goes viral

A backstage altercation among artists of Odisha’s popular Jatra troupe ‘Swapna Mahal’ has set the jatra world abuzz after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

The video, reportedly filmed near Barida village under Kabisuryanagar block in Ganjam district during a recent performance, shows heated exchanges and abusive language among troupe members behind the stage.

Actress Namita and actor-manager Muna of ‘Swapna Mahal’ have alleged that the video was deliberately circulated to malign their troupe. They claimed the incident has been exaggerated and misrepresented as part of a propaganda campaign aimed at damaging their reputation.

According to sources, the anchor of the troupe alleged that both Namita and Muna abused him and even threatened to kill him.

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Rejecting the charges, Muna said, “The allegation is completely false and baseless. Someone made mistakes but didn’t admit them, and even arrived late for a meeting. When the cashier asked about it, he misbehaved and threatened to leave the party despite receiving his payment. I only pushed him in the heat of the moment. Can he prove that he was assaulted? How justified is it to repeatedly make mistakes and neglect duties after being hired for the job?”

Namita also defended herself, saying, “Please watch the video carefully. I never beat him or used abusive language. I only asked him not to fight and suggested calling the owner to resolve the matter. If the owner gave him the job, why is he making repeated mistakes and not doing his work properly? Things would have escalated if I hadn’t intervened. Since he was arguing with our manager, I had to step in, though I now admit I should not have. The full video has not gone viral—only edited parts have. This incident has been exaggerated and misrepresented to damage our reputation.”