Author: Ashok

The idea of the subjugation of women and the subordination of people of either sex to the traditional values of the majority is central to Andha Diganta (‘Blind Horizon’, 1989), a film remarkable for the candour with which Mahapatra depicts the stubborn callousness which so often sustains people in their relations with others. Although suspicion, censoriousness and bitterness are at the heart of the work, Mahapatra opens his film somewhat ironically with a nocturnal music recital before the ancient ruined temple. It is easy to discern the suggestion of the authority of ancient tradition in the physical setting, but...

Shita Rati is a 1982 Odia film directed by Manmohan Mahapatra. The National Award winning film tells the story of the love of a young couple divided by the boundaries of class.