Bhubaneswar: New Chairman of Odisha Film Development Corporation (OFDC) Kuna Tripathy has said that shooting will resume at Kalinga Studio from September while the state film policy will be declared within a fortnight.
Talking to media persons after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik June 5 to discuss various issues related to Odia film industry, Tripathy said that the development and renovation work of the Kalinga Studio had already begun.
“A lot of work is to be done under the Odisha Film Development Corporation (OFDC) and it was discussed in the meeting,” he said. OFDC is a broader concept while Kalinga Studio is just a part of it.
He said, “I want to make sure that the renovation work is completed by September so that film shooting can resume. The CM agreed to this proposal and he also wanted shooting to regain momentum at the studio. Along with the films, we are keeping in mind tourism development simultaneously. We are planning to renovate some of the old film halls along with many new cineplexes”.
The OFDC Chairman also informed that within 15 days the Chief Minister will be declaring the film policy for the State. After his appointment as OFDC chairman, this was Kuna Tripathy’s first meeting with the Chief Minister. His appointment is expected to give a new lease of life to the virtually defunct industry.
Tripathy, who had taken charge as the chairman of the OFDC May 18 had said that the revival of Kalinga Studio would be completed. He had stated that `35 lakh has been allocated for the renovation of Chalachitra Bhawan work on which will begin soon. Earlier, the Odisha Government had clarified that Kalinga Studio won’t be shut down.
MSME Minister Prafulla Samal had said that, “We have no intention to shut down the studio in the name of development of sports. We can earmark unallocated land or, for that matter, space can be created for development of sports infrastructure. The Government wouldn’t at any cost hand over the Kalinga Studio for any other purpose,” the Minister had said.
The studio was set up in 1982 and is spread over 25 acres. It became a point of discussion when the sports department asked the general administration department to give it the vacant land inside the premises to build a sports complex. This was criticised by members of the film industry. The studio is managed by the OFDC and has been lying in a dilapidated condition for years.
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