Eminent Odia Filmmaker Ananta Mohapatra to Receive Mohan Sundar Dev Goswami Award

Bhubaneswar:  Renowned writer, director, and theatre personality Ananta Mohapatra has been chosen to receive the prestigious Mohan Sundar Dev Goswami Award for his lifetime contribution to the Odia film industry. Mohapatra, who has made remarkable contributions to the cultural landscape of Odisha, will be honored for the year 2020.

The announcement was made by Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj during the release of the State Film Awards for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 at the Bhanjakala Mandap in Bhubaneswar. The award ceremony will recognize a total of 33 categories celebrating excellence in the Odia film industry.

Minister Suraj also revealed that cinematographer Srinivas Mohapatra and stand-up comedian Jayiram Samal will receive the Mohan Sundar Dev Goswami Award for the years 2021 and 2022, respectively. The award is presented annually to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to Odia cinema.

The Best Film awards were also announced, with Saheed Raghu Sardar (2020), Pratiksha & Dalchini (2021), and Daman (2022) being honored for their excellence. In the acting categories, Debashis Patra & Amlan Das, Ankit Kumar, and Dipanwit Das Mohapatra & Babushan Mohanty will receive the Best Actor award for the respective years.

Kabya Kiran (Sahid Raghu Sardar), Suryamayee Mohapatra (Dalchin), and Loapamudra Mishra (Boura Hatabaxa) have been named Best Actress for 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

In the Best Director category, Rakesh Samal will be honored for his direction of Romeo Raja (2020), Suresh Patnaik for Trushna (2021), and Sudhansu Mohan Sahoo for Mayabi (2022).

The awardees will receive significant cash prizes, with Rs 5 lakh and a trophy and citation for the Mohan Sundar Dev Goswami Award, and Rs 2 lakh for the Best Film. Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress will each receive Rs 1 lakh along with a trophy, certificate, and citation.

This recognition underscores the continued growth and achievement of the Odia film industry, with the state government honoring its contributors for their exceptional work in cinema and the arts.