Odia filmmaker and director Rajesh Ranjan Mohanty has produced and directed 33 short advertisement films, corporate films and documentaries. Mohanty has received the Governor’s award twice for social work – in 2005 and 2007. His films deal with subjects such as disability, women, tribal communities, sanitation, education and water. Today, he heads Footsteps, a digital communication media house that specialises in films, music, videos, and documentaries besides branding and advertising. The musical videos, Aau Nakara Kaha Age Guhari (2017) and Utkal Suta (2018), directed by him have been well-received.
Born to Alekha Ranjan and Kaminibala Mohanty of Kakatpur, Puri, Rajesh has been keen on films since his childhood. An alumnus of Utkal University, Rajesh graduated from SCS Autonomous College, Puri. His love for social service led him to volunteer at the Anjali International Children’s Festival. The annual festival hosts programmes for about 5, 000 physically-challenged children.
Rajesh describes how he took up filmmaking: “I was working in the social sector when Sruti Mohapatra, CEO of NGO Swabhiman, wanted to produce a documentary on fluorosis. The director she was in contact with did not cooperate at the last moment. So, Sruti ma’am sought my help. That marked my first step in film-making. I was really happy that I could successfully finish the project. Subsequently, I directed and produced several other films. I have always received a lot of support from my seniors and teammates.”
Rajesh has made several feature and non-feature films including The Compassionate Crusader; Rainbow; I Am Possible; Fight for Rights; Efforts for Change; We Need, We Want & Have to Change; The Power of Unity; Ankhee; Anjali; Bachpan-an Untold Story; Brains Are Awesome; Many Cultures One Community; You Made Me Prostitute and I Am Scared. They have been screened at film festivals.
Rajesh has used his passion for writing stories and poetry to turn the focus on social issues through the medium of cinema. His stint as a filmmaker has given him vast experience in script/content writing and documentary/package development. Besides, he is a proficient cameraman.
“The Compassionate Crusader, a non-feature docu film, has touched my heart the most. It is the story of a real person who is blind by birth. But, he has never let this disability pull him down. He used the disadvantage to rise above others in the service of physically challenged. Another documentary – I am Possible – focuses on how an issue that appears impossible can become possible. The story encourages and boosts self-confidence,” Rajesh says.
“Currently, I am working on my dream project, a movie titled Mohini. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is my icon and that’s why I chose to make Mohini. It’s the story of an innocent girl who ends up as a kotha dancer and subsequently becomes a prostitute. You can experience a heart-touching raga-based number with a special acoustic flavor in the film,” he adds.
The young director has so far worked with eminent music directors like Bibhuti Bhusan Gadnayak, Omprakash Mohanty and Debadash Chhotray. His music album Utkal Suta is a tribute to Odisha that celebrates 81 years of Utkal province formation. The album featuring 11 singing stars inspires the youth to love their motherland. The music documentary Aau Nakara Kaha Age Guhari released on April 1, 2017 has become popular in Odisha.
About his future plans, Rajesh says, “Right now, I am entertaining people and making them think about issues around them. I want to build a full-fledged production house like the ones in Bollywood, because there is no film production house in Odisha which handles the different aspects of filmmaking all under one roof.”
PNN
