Re-developed Kalinga Studio inaugurated; CM urges youth to tell Odisha-rooted stories
Bhubaneswar, October 5: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday inaugurated the newly redeveloped and state-of-the-art Kalinga Studio in Bhubaneswar, aimed at providing a modern, self-contained ecosystem for film production while giving a fresh push to Odisha’s film industry.
The Chief Minister also launched a dedicated film archive and museum at the studio to preserve the cinematic heritage of Odisha, including old films, posters, photographs and historical documents.
Speaking at the inauguration, Majhi said Odia filmmakers would no longer need to travel to other states for technical work as the revamped studio has been equipped with several world-class facilities. He added that more advanced facilities would be introduced at the studio in the coming days.
The redeveloped Kalinga Studio has been designed as a comprehensive film-production ecosystem keeping in mind the changing needs of the industry and the digital era. It features an indoor shooting floor, snow house, chroma floor, tech zone, sound recording facilities, dubbing, editing and post-production facilities.
The Chief Minister called upon the younger generation to make films based on original stories, folklore, history and Odisha’s cultural heritage.
He said Odisha’s young talent has already made significant strides in acting, direction, cinematography, animation, sound design and storytelling for digital platforms. Kalinga Studio, he said, would provide an important platform for them to turn their creative aspirations into reality.
Majhi also recalled the rich history of Odia cinema, noting that films such as Maa, Amadabat and Matira Manisha in the 1950s and 1960s established a close relationship between Odia literature and cinema.
He said Kalinga Studio was established in 1980 to support filmmaking in Odisha but over the years, natural disasters and rapid technological changes made its redevelopment necessary.
The newly launched archive and museum is intended to preserve the state’s cinematic legacy and provide future generations an opportunity to engage with Odisha’s film history.
Speaking on the occasion, Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain said the redeveloped Kalinga Studio had been transformed into a modern film studio complex with facilities covering requirements from production to post-production.
Swain said the film industry was not merely an entertainment sector but represented a large economic ecosystem with potential for employment and allied activities.
During the programme, the Chief Minister also launched the new official portal of the Odisha Film Development Corporation (OFDC).
Ekamar MLA Babu Singh, Digapahandi MLA Siddhant Mohapatra, Korei MLA Akash Das Nayak, Industries Department Additional Chief Secretary Hemant Sharma and Kalinga Studio Managing Director Surendra Kumar Panda were among those present at the event.