Restored Odia Classic Abhilasha Screened at Smrutichhaya Programme

Bhubaneswar: The restored version of the 1984 Odia film Abhilasha, starring legendary actors Sadhu Meher and Uttam Mohanty, was screened at Soochana Bhawan on Saturday as part of the 22nd Smrutichhaya programme by the Film Journalists’ Forum (FJF).

The screening, a tribute titled Shirshotar Sadhu Meher O Sarvottam Uttam, was organized in collaboration with the National Film Archive of India and the state government, with sponsorship from Paradeep Phosphates Limited.

Abhilasha marked the final collaboration between Meher and Mohanty following Abhiman and Aparichita. Over time, deteriorated prints made the film largely inaccessible to fans, despite its iconic status and the enduring popularity of the song Ei Jhuma Jhuma Golapi Belare, sung by Hariharan and Arati Mukherjee.

Veteran and contemporary Odia cinema personalities—Prashanta Nanda, Siddhant Mohapatra, and Anu Choudhury—shared their reflections on the contributions of the late stars ahead of the screening. An *Abhilasha* commemorative booklet was released, and mementos were presented to members of the film’s original cast and crew.

Notable attendees included actors Aparajita, Jayaswami, Ramdurai, Pitambar Puhan, Kirtan Patra, Nandita Jena, and Ramesh Kumar Singh, along with writer-lyricist Ramesh Mohanty, sound recordist Nagen Barik, makeup artist Banchhanidhi Patnaik, and former Culture Secretary Manoranjan Panigrahi. Senior journalist Amitabh Khillar delivered the vote of thanks, and lyricist Bijay Malla curated the event.