Bhubaneswar, Sept 11: The iconic Kalinga Studio in Bhubaneswar is likely to become operational by January next year, with renovation work nearing completion. This development is expected to provide a significant boost to the Odia film industry.
As per reports, a seven-member committee of Odisha Assembly comprising seven MLAs visited the site to assess the progress of the ongoing renovation work today. The team, led by Dushmanta Kumar Swain, included legislators Chhabi Mallick, Arvind Mahapatra, Laxman Bag, Pratap Chandra Pradhan, Rupesh Kumar Panigrahi, and Satyajit Gamang.
MLA Dushmanta Kumar Swain, chairman of the Assembly committee, stated that the state government is taking steps to make Kalinga Studio operational as soon as possible. He mentioned that a target has been set to complete the ongoing transformation work by January next year.
It is worth noting that Chief Minister Mohan Majhi had visited Kalinga Studio on June 1 this year to review the ongoing transformation work. He expressed appreciation for the existing facilities and the newly-built infrastructure.
He also instructed the concerned officials to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) to upgrade the studio into a modern, world-class facility.
Established in 1980, Kalinga Studio played a pivotal role in ushering in a new era for the Odia film industry. Many popular Odia films from the 1980s and 1990s featured indoor and outdoor sequences shot at the studio.
However, the super cyclone of 1999 caused significant damage to the iconic studio, and it gradually lost its prominence due to a lack of modern equipment.
After assuming office as the Chief Minister of Odisha, Majhi directed officials to accelerate the transformation efforts at Kalinga Studio.
As part of the transformation, several new facilities have been developed at the studio, including an entrance plaza, indoor shooting space, Kalinga Movie Magic, avenue land, village area, iconic landmark, snow world, community hall, bamboo structure, waterbody, and green spaces.
