From Advertisements to Cinema: Chandra Mani’s New Journey with ‘Bara Badhu’

Bhubaneswar: The much-awaited Odia film Bara Badhu is all set to hit theatres on February 13. Directed by Beeswaranjan, the film marks the feature production debut of Bihar-born advertisement director Chandra Mani, who has turned producer with this socially relevant project.

With decades of experience in the advertising industry and a portfolio spanning numerous commercial campaigns, Mani’s transition into film production has generated curiosity in industry circles.

Speaking about what inspired him to back an Odia film as his first feature venture, Mani credited his long-time professional association with director Beeswaranjan.

“We have worked together on several advertisement projects. During one such collaboration, he narrated the story of Bara Badhu to me. I was deeply attracted to the subject,” Mani said. “When I asked whether it was based on a real incident and he said yes, that caught my attention immediately. I believe language is never a barrier for storytelling.”

Highlighting the growing potential of the Odia film industry, Mani said Odisha has immense storytelling strength and abundant talent. He stressed the need for the industry to prioritize original content over remakes.

“The Odia industry must focus on telling good, original stories rather than relying on remakes. Audiences today are very smart and appreciate authenticity,” he added.

Bara Badhu explores themes of marriage and employment—issues that remain socially relevant and relatable across regions. The film features an ensemble cast including Sailendra Samantaray, Sivani Sangita, Subhasis Sharma, Jayashree Sarangi, Hara Rath, Suryamayee Mohapatra, Suvendu Das, and Bhaswati Basu.

With its real-life inspiration and socially rooted narrative, Bara Badhu is expected to strike a chord with audiences when it releases this Friday.