Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra

Bhubaneswar: In a milestone for the Odia film industry, 'Dahaan – The Evil Within' has become the first Odia film to be acquired by leading South Indian OTT platform aha. Unlike revenue-sharing or pay-per-view arrangements, the film has been directly acquired by the streaming platform, marking a breakthrough for Odia cinema.

Released on September 11 this year, Dahaan has emerged as a major commercial success. The supernatural horror film revolves around a mysterious Dybbuk box and a terrifying family secret. It has been praised for its atmospheric horror, gripping storytelling, performances, and technical excellence.

Written and directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Anupam Patnaik, the film features an ensemble cast including Barsha Patnaik, Aurosikha Mishra, Samrat Mahapatra, Partha Sarathi Ray, Nishant Majithia, Pranab Prasanna Rath and others.

Produced by Anupam Patnaik and Barsha Patnaik under Amiya Patnaik Production, the film has a talented technical team. Deepak Kumar handled cinematography, while Ashish Pradhan composed the music and background score. Rashmi Ranjan Dash served as editor, Shakti Swaroop Dwibedy handled sound design, and Pranab Prasanna Rath wrote the dialogues. Barsha Patnaik also oversaw production and costume design, while Gopal Chandra Ghadei and Dibyajyoti Mohanty served as executive producer and line producer, respectively.

For Anupam Patnaik, this marks another achievement in a filmography that includes Tulasi Apa, the National Award-winning Pratikshya, Trikanya, the blockbuster Karma and the successful horror-comedy Mantra Muugdha. Through his films, Patnaik has consistently experimented with different genres and received critical acclaim as well as commercial success.

The acquisition holds an emotional significance for Patnaik, who had earlier faced disappointment when Tulasi Apa was removed from Amazon Prime Video.

With Dahaan joining aha, the achievement opens up new possibilities for Odia filmmakers and strengthens the industry’s presence in the national digital entertainment space.