Bhubaneswar: ‘Patnagarh’, the much publicised crime thriller movie based on real life story has been nominated for the 25th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) which is going to be held in Kolkata from November 8 to 15, 2019. The multi-lingual film in Hindi, Odia and Telugu would have its world-wide release on November 8,2019.
The producer of the film, Sridhar Martha, told India Whispers that the Patngarh has been selected for the KIFF. He said that the multi-ligual film is all set for worldwide release on November 8, 2019.
Martha, who had two Odia films- Katha Deli Matha Chuin and Yogi- to his credit, said the new film is based on the infamous parcel bomb blast case of Patnagarh in Odisha’s Bolangir district. However, he clarified, the film is not a biopic.
The parcel bomb blast that claims two lives in Bholanathpada village under Patnagarh sub-division of Bolangir district on February 23, 2018 had sent shock waves across the State. A newly -wed couple Soumya Sekhar Sahu, his wife Rima Rani and grand mother Jemamani were injured when the wedding gift came as a parcel exploded on being opened. Soumya Sekhar and Jemamani succumbed to their injuries while the life of Rima Rani could be saved following prolonged medical support.
The Odisha crime branch police under the leadership of IG Arun Bothra investigated into the case and found that Punjilal Meher, an English lecturer of Jyoti Vikash College where Soumya Sekher’s mother Sanjukta Sahu was the principal, is the main accused of the crime. Meher out of vengeance had sent the parcel bomb to the house of Sanjukta Sahu to eliminate her and her family members. He had a grudge against Sanjukta as she sntatched his principalship in the college.
The crime branch has included statement of 72 witnesses and eyewitnesses in its charge sheet filed against Punjilal who is now in judicial custody.
Directed by national award-winning director Rajesh Touchriver, the film Patnagarh is based on this real life crime story.
Bollywood actors Atul Kulkarni and Yashpal Sharma, Odia film actor Manoj Mishra and Telugu actor Tanikella Bharani are in the star cast. While Kulkarni will play the role of Crime Branch IG Arun Bothra, Manoj will be seen as Punjilal Meher- the mastermind behind the blast.
When Odisha based producer Sridhar Martha wanted to make a multi-lingual film in Hindi, Odia and Telugu on the real life crime story, it landed up in controversy. Rabindra Sahu, father of the deceased Soumya Sekhar and husband of Sanjukta, filed a case against the film makers. Stating that the film would hurt the sentiment of the family members of the victims as Punjilal has been portrayed as a hero in the film, he had filed cases against the producer and director of the film.
Producer Sridhar Martha, who is producing the film under the banner of the Range Royal Cine Lab, told India Whispers that there is no legal hurdles now for the release of the film. He said that the film would have its worldwide release on November 8, 2019.
