Sala Budha Oriya Movie by Sabyasachi Mohapatra

After 25 years, director Sabyasachi Mohapatra is back with Salabudha, another movie set on a rural background and focuses on the plight of the aged people in villages in the western part of the state. The film is based on a novel by renowned author Kapilesh Prasad Mohapatra (his father).

Speaking about his new venture, Mahapatra said that after Bhukha got international recognition, he always wanted to make another feature film in Sambalpuri. “I made Bhukha in 1987 and it still remains the only feature film in the Sambalpuri dialect. I feel honored that I am going to make the second one also. It is the story of Maharaja Biramitradaya Singhdeo and his peasants in the early 20th century when Singhdeo ruled the then Sonepur state,” said Mahapatra.

“The villages, where agriculture is the main source of sustenance, have unique culture, tradition, and folk arts. Salabudha captures the quintessential elements of the rural landscape in all its simplicity and rustic nature,” the director said at the film’s premiere in Sonepur on Tuesday. This film is a tribute to all senior citizens of Odisha, added Mohapatra.

Produced by Susanta Mahapatra, the film has cinematography by Prakash Mahapatra. Atala Bihari Panda has written the dialogues. Veteran theatre personalities such as Atala Bihari Panda, Ghasiram Mishra, Gadadhar Barik, and Purusattam Mishra would be part of the cast. Similarly, new faces such as Pradumya Sahu and some others also have got a chance to act in the film.

“The legacy of rich music, dance, and local language gives a rustic character to the film. We have tried to show how despite adverse circumstances, the village chief does not lose hope. It is this grand old man who keeps the folks motivated and engaged,” said Mohapatra.

Twenty-five years ago, Bhukha (Hungry) in the Sambalpuri language became the first film from the state to receive an International Jury Award at the Gijon International Film Festival. The film, which was based on a Sambalpuri play by Manglu Charan Biswal and had a strong social message, earned accolades even in the country.