Lahari’ Wins National Award for Best Odia Film.

Jajpur,22/09(PPT): Odia film Lahari has won the Rajat Kamal for Best Odia Film at the 72nd National Film Awards, with producer and actor Jhilik Bhattacharjee receiving the award from President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. Produced by Jhilik Motion Pictures and directed by Amartya Bhattacharyya, the film, made for the 2024 awards cycle, explores the lives of rural fishing communities and the challenges faced by tribal and local communities amid rapid urbanisation. The award carries a Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of ₹2 lakh. Lahari has also been screened at film festivals in India and abroad. The recognition has been welcomed in Sukinda, where Ms. Bhattacharjee has family ties as the wife of former Sukinda MLA and Minister Pritiranjan Ghadai, with various sections congratulating the film’s cast and crew. The award is expected to draw wider attention to Odia cinema and stories rooted in Odisha’s social and cultural landscape.