Director Arjun Samanta Ray Parts Ways with Amiya Patnaik Productions Over ‘Etiki Thilaa’
Bhubaneswar: In a significant development surrounding the upcoming Odia film Etiki Thilaa, director Arjun Samanta Ray has announced that he is no longer associated with Amiya Patnaik Productions and Technoart Productions in connection with the project. He has also clarified that his script for the film is no longer associated with either production house.
Making the announcement through an official statement on social media, Samanta Ray reflected on the years of effort that went into developing the story, describing it as a work created with care and tenderness, featuring authentic characters whose complexities mirror real-life experiences.
“I have always believed that every story has its own life, choosing how to be told and finding its own way to an audience to be heard and seen,” the director said, explaining his creative philosophy while addressing his departure from the project.
“Etiki Thilaa is one of those stories, written with care and created with tenderness, with authentic characters whose complexities mirror our own lives and connect with those who encounter them,” he added.
Emphasising the time and creative commitment involved in developing such a project, Samanta Ray said stories of this nature take years to take shape, adding, “So did this one.”
The director’s statement, however, did not specify the reasons behind his departure or clarify the future of the film. The production houses have yet to announce their position on the development. It also remains unclear whether the project will proceed with a different director or under a revised creative arrangement.
The development comes after Etiki Thilaa was announced as a new venture from Amiya Patnaik Productions, with a script puja held at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple in Nayapalli on the occasion of Bahuda Yatra. The film was initially presented as an emotionally layered love story featuring Barsha Patnaik, Dipanwit Dasmohapatra and Abhishek Panda.
The proposed reunion of Barsha and Dipanwit had generated interest among Odia cinema enthusiasts, as the actors were associated with Pratikshya, the Odia film that won the Best Feature Film in Odia award at the 69th National Film Awards. Produced by Amiya Patnaik Productions and directed by Anupam Patnaik, Pratikshya received recognition for its sensitive portrayal of a middle-class family’s struggles and the relationship between a father and son.
Amiya Patnaik Productions, which also backed Mantra Muugdha, has been pursuing a slate of projects in Odia cinema. With Samanta Ray’s announcement, the future of Etiki Thilaa and the use of the original script have emerged as key questions awaiting clarification.