Selected for Oscar-Qualifying Tasveer Film Festival

Bhubaneswar: Odia feature film LAHARI has secured an official selection at the 20th Tasveer Film Festival, popularly known as the Seattle South Asian Film Festival—the world’s only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival. The film will be screened on October 8 in Seattle, USA.

Released across Odisha on September 12, LAHARI continues to receive strong audience response after opening to positive reviews. The film had its world premiere at the Kolkata International Film Festival and has since been showcased at international platforms including the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and the Rhode Island International Film Festival. It will also feature at the Mumbai International Film Festival on September 25, with a screening at the National Film Archive of India, Pune.

Director Amartya Bhattacharyya expressed his delight at the milestone.

“My films have been selected at over 200 international festivals worldwide, but this is the first time one of my films has made it to an Oscar-qualifying festival. This festival was on my wish list for years, and with LAHARI, we finally achieved it. Since the film is still running in theaters, I urge Odia audiences to experience this internationally celebrated work on the big screen.”

Produced by actress Jhilik Bhattacharjee under the banner of Jhilik Motion Pictures, the film stars Choudhury Jayaprakash Das, Choudhury Bikash Das, Dipanwit Dashmohapatra, Susant Misra, and Swastik Choudhury in lead roles, with cameos by Babushaan Mohanty, Devasis Patra, Hara Ratha, and Jhilik herself. Music is composed by Kisaloy Roy, with vocals by Gaurav Anand, Navya Jaiti, and Kisaloy.

Breaking new ground in Odia cinema, LAHARI focuses on organic ecotourism and rural entrepreneurship and features a diverse cast from 15 countries, marking a first in the industry’s history.