Monalisa Patsani
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: Sabyasachi Mohapatra’s ‘Pahada Ra Luha’(Tears of the Mountain) was adjudged the best Oriya film in the regional film category at the 63rd National Film Awards, the Union information and broadcasting ministry announced Monday.
‘Duronto’, a biopic on Budhia Singh, the famous child marathon runner from the state, has been declared the best children’s film. The film, in which Manoj Bajpai played an important role, was directed by Oriya filmmaker Soumendra Padhi.
Sabaysachi, who received the national award for his film ‘Aadim Bichar’ last year, is delighted to be selected for the award this year too. “I am happy. ‘Pahada Ra Luha’ is a very special film for me as it took 25 years of dedication and effort. To be honest I was expecting the national award for the movie and its subject is close to my heart. The award belongs to the entire cast and crew who were involved in its making,” he said.
The film, based on the forced displacement of Paraja tribals of Koraput from their native dwelling due to rapid industrialisation, was mainly shot in the interiors of Koraput and Kalahandi districts.
“I started making the film in 1990. Due to financial constraints, I was forced to stop shooting midway. I resumed shooting in June last year with the cast unchanged. The plot of the film takes a 25-year jump in the middle. During these 25 years, there were some artistes who had passed away but I decided to retain the scenes I had shot with them in the film. The scenes are a memory I cherish,” he said.
Dwelling on the problems such as industrialisation-induced displacement and Naxalism that stare tribal people in the face, Mohapatra said, “The tribals are losing their homeland, identity and right to live. In the film I have tried to portray their peaceful lifestyle and how it is getting violently affected by the onslaught of mining and industrialisation. Development is necessary but not at the cost of tradition and human rights.”
“As a major part of the shooting was done in the far-flung regions of two tribal-dominated districts, we had to carry all the equipment on our backs and travel through miles of forests. During one such journey we encountered a tiger. The adivasis of the region came to our rescue,” said Mohapatra, sharing his experiences on the shooting of the film.
The award-winning director will soon start shooting of ‘Sala Budha Ra Badala’, his next venture which is a sequel to the critically acclaimed ‘Sala Budha’. On the anvil is a biopic of Biju Patnaik for which the director he looking for an actor to play the lead.
