Odia movie 'Patnagarh' dropped from screening at 25th Kolkata IFF

Bhubaneswar: Odia movie 'Patnagarh' which is based on the sensational wedding gift blast tragedy in Patnagarh of Bolangir district in Odisha has been unlisted after being selected for screening at the 25th Kolkata International Film Festival.

The film was selected for screening under Indian Languages Competition Section at the film festival to be held from November 8 to 15. However, the organiser of the event recently informed the director about exclusion of the film.

“We have unlisted the film-Patnagarh from the Indian Languages Competition Section of the 25th Kolkata International Film Festival 2019. We will not screen the film in our upcoming film festival,” the organiser of the event informed the director of the film, Rajesh Touchriver through an e-mail.

Reacting to the exclusion of the film from screening, actor Manoj Mishra said, “The case lodged against the film by the family members of victims is pending in court due to lawyers’ strike. If the organiser has dropped the film in view of the case then what can we do. The court has not asked us to stop the screening of the film. We will apply in other festivals for screening."

Producer Sridhar Martha also expressed disappointment over the development and said, “If such things happen, how a producer will come forward to make a film.”

Patnagarh is an adaptation of the sensational parcel bomb blast case of Patnagarh that claimed two lives in February last year. Produced by Sridhar Martha, the movie features Bollywood actor AtulKulkarni and Ollywood star Manoj Mishra in the lead roles.