BHUBANESWAR: Movie theatres have turned a huge impediment to the development of Odia film industry. Lack of support by cinema halls despite standing rules by the Government for compulsory screening of Odia movies has severely affected the industry which is battling for survival.
The State Government has made provisions for compulsory screening of Odia film in each cinema theatre for a minimum period of eight weeks in a year. According to the norm, it should be enforced by Collectors and District Magistrates under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

However, cinema halls across the State are blatantly flouting the norm. Multiplexes in major cities or towns in the State, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela and Balasore are shying away from running Odia films. “There are cinema halls which don’t screen any Odia film throughout the year. Some of the multiplexes run Odia films featuring top stars only. Even for these films, one show is allotted per day. The film runs in the theatre for a week only,” alleged distributor Prabhat Kumar Jena.

Similar situation prevails in the single-screens too. In Bhubaneswar, three major single-screen cinema halls are reluctant to screen Odia films. One of them hasn’t screened an Odia film since 2015. “The Odia film industry is struggling to survive. We have raised this issue several times but no action has been taken,” said film producer Sridhar Martha.

Odia film producers, meanwhile, are planning to go on strike over the issue. They have also demanded that satellite channels should show Odia films a year after they are released in theatres. “Currently, the channels telecast the films a month after release. This discourages people from going to theatres to watch Odia movies,” producer Sachikant Jena rued.

Chairperson of Odisha Film Development Corporation (OFDC) Kuna Tripathy said he would look into the matter and take necessary action against the defaulters.
Tripathy said the State Government is soon going to announce a comprehensive Film Policy for development of Odia movie industry. The final draft is ready and the Policy will be announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

“It will be like a mini-constitution for films in Odisha. After 82 years, the matter has been taken up by the Government. It will address several issues like renovation of cinema halls, sanctioning of loans and subsidies to filmmakers and development of Kalinga Studio,” Tripathy added.