Odia Film LAHARI Makes Waves Internationally, Selected at Oscar-Qualifying Tasveer Film Festival

Bhubaneswar: The Odia feature film LAHARI is all set to make its mark on the international stage, having been officially selected for the 20th Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle, USA—one of the world’s only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festivals. The film will be screened on 8th October.

Released across Odisha on 12th September, LAHARI has been winning hearts with rave reviews and continues to run successfully in theaters. Before its theatrical release, the film had its world premiere at the Kolkata International Film Festival, and has also been featured at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and the Mumbai International Film Festival, with a screening scheduled on 25th September at the National Film Archive of India.

Filmmaker Amartya Bhattacharyya, whose films have been showcased at over 200 international festivals, expressed his excitement: “This is the first time one of my films has been selected at an Oscar-qualifying festival. Seattle has been on my wish list for years, and finally, with LAHARI, we could make it happen. I urge all film lovers in Odisha to watch this internationally acclaimed Odia film in theaters.”

Produced by popular Odia actress Jhilik Bhattacharjee under Jhilik Motion Pictures, LAHARI stars Choudhury Jayaprakash Das, Choudhury Bikash Das, Dipanwit Dashmohapatra, Susant Misra, and Swastik Choudhury. The film also features cameo appearances by Babushaan Mohanty, Devasis Patra, Hara Ratha, and Jhilik herself. Music is composed by Kisaloy Roy, with songs voiced by Gaurav Anand, Navya Jaiti, and Kisaloy.

Notably, the film, centered on organic ecotourism and rural entrepreneurship, features a cast from 15 countries, making it a unique milestone for Odia cinema.