Bhubaneswar: ‘Patnagarh’, a movie based on the much discussed Patnagarh parcel bomb explosion case, is slated be released November 8. This bilingual movie has been simultaneously shot in Odia and Telugu.
Patnagarh has also been nominated for screening at Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) scheduled to be held from November 8 to 15. It promises to be a high-octane thriller.
The film derives its title from the small town in Bolangir district where the parcel bomb explosion incident took place February 23, 2018 in which newlywed Soumya Sekhar and his grandmother lost their lives while opening a parcel that looked like a gift pack.
Actor Manoj Panda portrays the character of Punjilal Meher, the mastermind of the explosion. Hindi film actor Atul Kulkarni plays the character of Arun Bothra, the then Odisha Crime branch IG, who cracked the case. The film also features Hindi film actor Yashpal Sharma along with Odia veterans Pushpa Panda, Anu Chaudhury and Telgu actor Tanikella Bharani.
According to the makers of the film, while all the actors tried to give their best to do justice to their characters, Atul Kulkarni needs special mention. He has the experience of playing the character of a cop. People still remember him for his powerful performance as a cop in two TV shows-Crimes Patrol and Sabdhan India.
Patnagarh is produced under the banner of Range Royal Cine Lab, produced by Shreedhar Martha and directed by national award winner Rajesh Touchriver. The team hopes the film will perform well both in and out of the state since it has all the ingredients to attract cine goers.
Notably, the film courted controversy in August 2018 after Soumya Sekhar’s father Rabindra Sahu lodged a complaint with Patnagarh police against the filmmakers alleging that no prior permission had been sought from them before making the movie.
