Bhubaneswar Film Festival Continues with Diverse Cinema, Insightful Masterclass

Bhubaneswar: The second day of the Bhubaneswar Film Festival celebrated the richness of Indian cinema with a diverse line-up of films, a thought-provoking documentary screening, and an engaging masterclass by acclaimed actor Neeraj Kabi.

The day’s screenings began with the Kannada film Kandeelu, followed by one of the festival’s most talked-about presentations, A Story That Refused to Die, a documentary by filmmaker Ranjeeta Kaur that chronicles the remarkable journey behind the making of the critically acclaimed film Paan Singh Tomar.

The documentary reveals the numerous challenges faced during production, including delays caused by corporate changes following UTV’s sale and several production hurdles, resulting in the project taking nearly 12 years to reach completion.

The festival also featured screenings of the Bengali film Konttho, the Hindi film Wo-Man, and concluded with the classic Hindi film Bandini, drawing enthusiastic audiences to Jayadev Bhawan.

A major highlight of the day was the Masterclass on Acting conducted by celebrated actor Neeraj Kabi, known for his acclaimed performances in Byomkesh Bakshy!, Talvar, Sherni, Sacred Games, and Paatal Lok. Held at the Press Club, Bhubaneswar, the interactive session offered aspiring actors and cinema enthusiasts valuable insights into the craft of performance and storytelling.

The festival will continue on June 27 with screenings of Semkhor (Dimasa), Sabar Bonda (Marathi), Jagat (Gujarati), Baida (Odia), and the Hindi classic Sujata. A special panel discussion on “Fabrics, Identity and Cinema” will also be held at Jayadev Bhawan, bringing together filmmakers and experts to explore the intersection of costume, culture, and cinematic storytelling.

The multi-day festival continues to showcase the diversity of Indian cinema while fostering meaningful discussions and learning opportunities for filmmakers, artists and audiences alike.