BHUBANESWAR: The much-awaited feature film ‘Biju Babu’, directed by Nila Madhab Panda, was released amidst a lot of fanfare and expectations on theatres across the state Friday.
Grand premiers were held at Brundavan Talkies, Cuttack, and Cinepolis, Bhubaneswar. Reportedly, the movie has already created a record of sorts by its release in over 90 theatres across the state.
Going by the initial feedback from those who managed to catch the first shows, all theatres appear to be sold-out on the first day. Fans opine that the movie is an out-and-out action-comedy-thriller as was indicated by Panda earlier.
He said, “It is a truly memorable day in my life. I’m presenting my first Odia feature film inspired by the words of legend Biju Babu. It’s meant to fight a new menace in our society called fake news. I hope the film serves its purpose well in this regard. Today, we, the Biju Babu Team, also dedicate the song ‘Bande Utkala Janani’ from my film ‘Biju Babu’ to Odisha and its people. I just want to let everyone know that it has been composed by none other than the exceptional trio Shankar Ehsaan and Loy, and voiced by the legend herself, Asha Bhonsle ji, along with her granddaughter.”
“And finally, I also woke up to this call from Sweden earlier today, informing me that my recent Hindi feature film ‘Halkaa’ just won the Best Comedy Feature Film at the Buff International Film Festival in Sweden. As an Odia, it makes me feel immensely proud today to present this triple bonanza to my state,” he added.
Being an out and out family entertainer, the film weaves through the spirit and philosophy of the iconic leader Biju Babu. Alongside a strong message and story line, the film appears to be packed with solid doses of romance, comedy, music, dance and thrills. It’s bound to enthrall audiences with its soothing songs composed by renowned music director Prem Anand.
The lead actors in the film superstar Anubhav Mohanty and Supriya Nayak have portrayed their characters to absolute perfection. The debutante director duo of ‘Biju Babu’, Devi Prasad Lenka and Vishal Mourya, are also as excited with this release as is the rest of the cast and crew.