Bhubaneswar: Taking Odia cinema to the global stage, Amartya Bhattacharyya’s feature film LAHARI has earned a coveted selection at the 20th Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle, USA—the world’s only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival. The film will be screened on October 8, marking a proud moment for Odisha’s film industry.
LAHARI, which hit theaters across Odisha on September 12, has been running to strong reviews and warm audience reception. The film’s journey began with a world premiere at the Kolkata International Film Festival and has since traveled to leading global festivals including the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Its next stop before Seattle is the Mumbai International Film Festival on September 25 at the National Film Archive of India.
Director Amartya Bhattacharyya expressed his delight, saying: “Although my films have been to over 200 international festivals, this is the first time one of them has made it to an Oscar-qualifying festival. Tasveer was on my wish list for years, and I’m thrilled that LAHARI made the cut. I appeal to all film lovers in Odisha to experience this film on the big screen. It isn’t every day that an Odia film achieves such global acclaim.”
The film has been produced by actress Jhilik Bhattacharjee under her banner Jhilik Motion Pictures. The lead cast includes Choudhury Jayaprakash Das, Choudhury Bikash Das, Dipanwit Dashmohapatra, Susant Misra, and Swastik Choudhury, with cameo appearances by Babushaan Mohanty, Devasis Patra, Hara Ratha, and Jhilik herself. The soulful soundtrack, composed by Kisaloy Roy, features songs by Gaurav Anand, Navya Jaiti, and Kisaloy.
Notably, LAHARI breaks new ground by featuring performers from 15 countries, an unprecedented move in Odia cinema. Its core theme—centered on organic ecotourism and rural entrepreneurship—gives the story a refreshing social relevance while carrying a universal appeal.
