Odisha: Pre-wedding bells through the lens

BHUBANESWAR: If the big fat Indian weddings weren’t enough, here come the pre-wedding photoshoots which stretch into lakhs of rupees even in a state like Odisha where such a phenomenon was unheard of until recently.
Now, the pre-wedding photo and video shoots take feverish pitch with the brides and grooms hopping from one location to another with camera crew and family members in tow. The affair is no less than that of a music album shoot with the involvement of a script writer, skilled cameraman, cinematographer, photo editors and other paraphernalia.

“While weddings are getting more glamorous and bigger, two years of holding low-key marriages are making people invest more in pre-wedding parties and photoshoots. Shedding the conservative notion, the bride and groom are travelling together and posing confidently before the lens,” a wedding planner said.
“Even in arranged marriages, one can surprisingly see brides and grooms travelling as far as Kashmir with their kin and camera crew, staying together and filming. People, who can afford the extra penny are opting for locations outside the state,” said photographer Ashutosh Sahu.
“With the demand growing, the schedule and job of even the routine cameramen has changed dramatically. The cameramen are able to show their skills, explore new places and get better opportunities. If an event management agency employs 10 people, it must have five still cameras and at least three video cameras for multi-camera shoots,” said wedding planner Lalitendu Das.
Event managers said some bride and grooms want both their struggles and sweet moments to be reflected in the video.
“To cater to the need of the brides and grooms, we hire script writers, who can translate the would-be couples’ feelings into reel. Some prefer foreign locations like Thailand and Malaysia,” said Shyam Purohit, director of an event management company.
Photographer Abinash Patra said Odisha’s hills stations in Phulbani, Baripada and Jirang (in Gajapati) have become popular for pre-wedding shoots.
“There are three kinds of videos — fiction, real and song-based,” he said.
Milan Dash, a freelance content writer, who got married a year ago, said a pre-wedding photo shoot helped her know her partner better. “It is an opportunity and platform to know each other. Even traditional families are encouraging their children for photoshoots. We spent Rs 1.5 lakh on our pre-wedding shoot, wedding stills and videos. The whole thing is thrilling, and exciting,” she told TOI.