Filmmakers call off protest after Six days

Bhubaneswar: Agitating filmmakers who were protesting at Lower PMG since November 23, called off their strike Tuesday after a meeting with state government.

The move came following a meeting between Mo Cinema, a team headed by eminent director Sabyasachi Mohapatra and actress Mahasweta Ray, and the state government held during the day.

In the meeting, Industry secretary Hemant Sharma and Odisha Film Development Corporation chairman Kuna Tripathy discussed the issues raised by the cine celebrities, which included producer Sanlisa Patel, Manoj Patel actor Buddhaditya Mohanty, Akhil Patnaik, Sukant Ratha, director Tapas Sargharia Music director Prem Anand and others. Sharma assured them of taking a decision on the demands in a few days.

The demands include one cinema hall in each block headquarters, mandatory screening of Odia films in every theatre for a certain period, and the formation of a regulatory body to address producers’ grievances, among others. It also includes streamlining distribution systems and ensuring the security of films and makers, both on and offline.