Bhubaneswar: After screenings at more than 12 international film festivals across eight countries and being nominated to the Indian Panaroma section at the 48th IFFI, Odia film 'Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea' is all set to hit INOX Bhubaneswar on June 10.
The 2017-made Odia language independent feature film written and directed by Amartya Bhattacharya is a satire with moments of humorous illustrations of serious reality drifting between realism and surrealism. Produced by Swastik Choudhury under the banner of Swastik Arthouse, the film has drawn acclaim in the international film festival circuits.
The film was premiered at the Hidden Gems Film Festival in Canada followed by a number of other festivals including the Dhaka International Film Festival and Ethiopian International Film Festival. It also won the Honourable Jury Mention award at 5th Noida International Film Festival 2018.
Actor Anu Choudhury, Amrita Chowdhury, Swastik Choudhury, Susant Misra , Choudhury Bikash Das, Hrushikesh Bhoi, Dipanwit Dashmohapatra and Bhaswati Basu are playing important characters in the movie.
"Though it's a great feeling when our films get recognized internationally, I still possess a lot of desire to see our films get the right kind of reception at home. Being a non-Odia by birth, my primary motive of making Odia films was to contribute to the contemporary art and culture of the state where I have met several great human beings," Director of the film Amartya said.
We also have plans to release the film in other theaters across Odisha and in other Indian cities, but that will certainly depend on the kind of response we receive here. The film lovers of Odisha must make 'Khyanikaa' their own. After the film is made, it's no more my property or my producer's. The film belongs to Odisha and the people of Odisha. They must own it up.
-- Amartya Bhattacharya, Film Director
Swastik Choudhury, producer of the film said that movies such as Khyanikaa - The Lost Idea are dependent on audiences to reach the conventional theaters.
So far a large section of people have lamented the lack of good cinema. Though the journey till the theater has not been easy, now that the film is there, it's an opportunity for all those cinema lovers to send out a strong message to distributors and exhibitors that such films have a niche audience. Only then many such filmmakers will get encouraged and the quality of cinema Odisha produces can be noticeable.
-- Swastik Choudhury, Film Producer