Himanshu Guru
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, December 22: Akshay Parija, the producer of the award-winning movie ‘Kehi Nuhen Kahara’, promises to take the Oriya film industry to new heights. “I will see to that my upcoming ventures are as good as Hindi movies.”
Though the movie is a critically acclaimed one, it has achieved commercial success also. Parija, a former banker, got into the film production to glorify “Oriya cinema, with its rich history, in the international forum.”
His first project ‘Jianta Bhoota’, an Oriya feature film, talked about the disappearing culture of Dongria Kondh tribe, which lives in the Niyamgiri hills of Koraput district, due to heavy mining activities. It won Parija national film award in 2008. “When you are away from your motherland, it is only then that you realise its greatness,” he said in an interview with Orissa POST. “I make movies that serve to the culture of our state.”
While his ventures ‘Jianta Bhoota’ and ‘Thukul’ were directed by veteran Prashant Nanda, ‘Agastya’ and ‘Bye Bye Dubai’ were directed by K Murli Krishna and Basanta Sahoo respectively. The producer has attempted to come up with original plots that portrayed our state’s culture and heritage.
Along with the best film title, Kehin Nuhen Kahara’ won six-others—best screenplay, best supporting actress, best costume, best make-up, best lyric and best sound. With his choice of working with wide scope of directors, he said he is trying to experiment with variety of genres. “My upcoming projects on freedom fighter Buxi Jagabandhu, to be directed by Manmohan Mahapatra, and for ‘Love U Jessica’, I am collaborating with Sushant Mani again,” he said.
