Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday, 26 June declared that Odia cinema is a symbol of the state's cultural identity and announced that the government will soon roll out a new Film Policy aimed at the holistic development of the Odia film industry and the welfare of its artists. The announcement came during the 35th and 36th State Film Awards Ceremony held at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.

What the New Film Policy Promises

Chief Minister Majhi said the government had recently held detailed discussions with members of the Odia film fraternity on the industry's current status and future direction. He confirmed that a major policy announcement is imminent, covering artist welfare, technical support for quality film production, and stronger protections against the removal of Odia films from theatres to accommodate other releases.

Majhi issued a firm warning: the government will take strict action against any theatre that displaces Odia films to screen or promote other films, signalling a more assertive regulatory posture toward exhibition rights.

Kalinga Studio to Become a Digital Production Hub

One of the more concrete commitments made at the ceremony was the transformation of Kalinga Studio into one of the country's leading digital and post-production hubs. Majhi said the move would allow local filmmakers to access advanced facilities in cinematography, sound design, and visual effects (VFX) without having to leave the state — a direct response to the talent drain that has long challenged regional film industries.

He also extended an invitation to filmmakers from across India to use Odisha's scenic landscapes as production locations, positioning cinema tourism as a growth lever for the state.

A Legacy Rooted in 1936

Contextualising Odia cinema's cultural weight, Majhi noted that Odisha became a separate province in 1936 — the same year the first Odia feature film, Sita Bibaha, was produced by Mohan Sundar Deb Goswami. Classics such as Maya Miriga, Bhukha, Sesha Shrabana, and Hakim Babu have, over the decades, carried Odisha's culture to global audiences.

More recently, films including Daman, Pratikshya, Sala Budha, Pushkara, Bou Buttu Bhuta, and Bara Badhu have earned national recognition, which Majhi described as the beginning of a 'new sunrise' for the industry. This comes amid a broader resurgence of regional language cinema across India, driven by OTT platform demand and renewed audience appetite for culturally rooted storytelling.

Awards Presented Across 62 Categories

At the ceremony, senior actor Shyamalendu Bhattacharya received the Mohan Sundar Deb Goswami Samman for 2023, and senior actress Namrata Das was honoured with the same award for 2024. Both recipients received a cash prize of ₹5 lakh each. The Chief Minister also presented State Film Awards across 62 categories covering the years 2023 and 2024, recognising excellence across all disciplines of filmmaking.

Majhi urged producers to create films rooted in Odisha's culture while embracing modern storytelling techniques, and called on audiences to watch Odia films in theatres, noting that the livelihoods of hundreds of technicians, writers, and workers depend on each film's commercial success. With the policy framework and Kalinga Studio upgrade both pending formal rollout, the industry will be watching closely for timelines.