To cater to the ongoing demand for Web content or Web Series, few Odisha-based filmmakers and productions studios in Odisha have slowly started making YouTube series on various genres. However award-winning film production studio ‘BnR Films’ has surprised the audience by bringing a fresh twist to this trend. It has launched a brand new web series titled ‘ଶତ ପ୍ରତିଶତ Original (100% Original)’ which has been created entirely by Pune-based Odia artists/technicians.
This web series falls under ‘Comedy’ genre. The 1st Episode titled ‘Aama Odia Cinima’ (In English ‘Our Odia Cinema’) is a satirical take on the way Odia film industry. It features Sarada Nath, Sagarika Pati, Subhasmita Jena, Akshay Sethi,, Dipak Nayak (DJ DCode) and Sumat. Mr. Sampad Maity has assisted in Direction and equipment. Award-winning Filmmaker Biswanath has written, shot, edited and directed the 1st Episode. It was released on BnR Films’s YouTube Channel on 24th Dec 2018. And as expected, it has garnered around 2K views and 220 LIKES on YouTube. The audience is thoroughly appreciating the concept, story, acting and direction, while terming it as ‘the beginning of a new trend in Odia content’.
Link to Episode-1 of Odia Web Series ‘ଶତ ପ୍ରତିଶତ Original (100% Original)’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RwUpAN99b4
Talking about the series, Co-Producer Archana Rath says, ‘100% Original is a genuine effort from our team to do something out-of-the-box and to bring positive changes in Odia industry. We are really glad to see our efforts paying off.’
Regarding the inspiration behind this series, Writer-Director Biswanath says, ‘First of all, it’s incorrect to say that there is a dearth of good quality Odia content. It’s far from truth. In the recent past, so many independent Odia feature films and short films, made by our fellow Odia filmmakers have received prestigious awards and recognition throughout the globe. The issue is most of these content are not available online. On the other side, we have our commercial Odia film industry which unfortunately has little to offer in terms of original entertaining content. On the brighter side, recently, few Odia web series have been launched on YouTube, but the audience is either not much aware of these projects or has not found them impressive. This inspired us to explore this ever-expanding Digital space (YouTube/Online platforms) through creation of good quality, engaging, entertaining Odia content so that the general perception about Odia content or filmmakers can (slowly and steadily) change. That’s where the idea of our Odia Comedy Web Series ‘100% Original’ took shape.
Although the primary language is Odia, we are honored to receive such awe-inspiring response from even the Non-Odia audience who are appreciating the content. We have provided English subtitles, so that it reaches everyone. Interestingly in this series, there are many firsts. To start with, this is perhaps the first such Odia web series to be produced or created (entirely) outside Odisha, I,e by Pune-based Odia artists/technicians. We also hope this will inspire other Odia filmmakers leaving outside Odisha to come up with more such Odia content. My heartfelt thanks to Sarada, Sagarika, Subhasmita, Akshay, Dipak, Sumat, Sampad and Co-Producer Archana Rath for their awe-inspiring support, dedication and effort which made this web series possible. The reaction, response to this 1st episode will go a long way in motivating us to come up with even better episodes”
Biswanath Rath is the Founder & CEO of BnR Films LLP, a Chennai based Film Production company (co-founded by his wife Archana Rath) which produces Ad-Films, TV Commercials, Corporate Videos, Music Videos, Documentaries, Promotional Films, Short Films and feature films. All the ad-films/short films/music videos produced by the company (written-directed by Biswanath) have received 147 awards and recognitions in International film festival circuit. Recently (on 4th Dec) Biswanath’s International Documentary ‘Kotpad Weaving: The Story of a Race Against Time’ received ‘Best Short Documentary Award’ in Kashmir World Film Festival, Srinagar. This documentary is currently making waves in International Film Festival circuit. In the past, the studio’s very first short film ‘Kar Bhalaa’ (Hindi-Tamil) has received 3 Awards and 39 International Film Festival (IFF) Screening. It’s very first ad-film ‘The ‘Right’ Glass’ (silent) has bagged 2 awards and 50 International Film Festival screenings. Likewise, it’s very first International Music Video ‘Feel The Passion’ (English) has received 16 International Film Festival screenings till date. Out of total 147 International film festivals mentioned above, 115 festival screenings have taken place outside India (USA, UK, Italy, Paris, South America, Australia, Russia, Afghanistan and many other countries in Asia, Europe) where these films have represented India/Asia.
Presently BnR Films has got presence in Pune, Chennai, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Delhi. BnR Films aims to make films based on local content (Indian cultures, traditions, art and way of life) with global appeal. This includes feature films, social ad-films and documentaries on a wide range of subjects, concepts and themes.