When A.R. Rahman released his anthem for Men's Hockey World Cup which was held in Bhubaneswar in November 2018, he thanked cinematographer Ravi Varman, among others, for shooting the video of the same. But Varman was not through with Odisha even after the World Cup ended.
Varman was much too impressed by the pace of development in the state—from being perceived as poverty-stricken and socially backward state to one of the fastest-growing economies in the country. He went to make a short docu-film on the dramatic transformation of Odisha in the last 20 years. Titled 'People’s Leader-a visual rendition of the transformation of Odisha in 20 years', the short film is an ode to BJD supremo and Odisha's 14th Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and how he propelled hectic growth in the state with his pro-poor policies and quietly determined administrative style. The state has emerged from the extensive devastation in the 1999 Super Cyclone.
To celebrate 'Odisha Day', observed on April 1, the inaugural screening of docu-film was held at the Oberoi Hotel in Delhi, well attended by the capital's diplomatic corps and ambassadors of other countries. Odisha Day is celebrated to memorialise the formation of the state as a separate province on April 1, 1936.
The film is a visual rendition of how the state's profile has changed as an investment magnet under the quiet, no-nonsense approach of Patnaik, the state's four-time chief minister. “As a cinematographer, one observes a lot of things that are happening around you. The transformation of Odisha is unmissable” says Varman who has worked with the likes of Mani Ratnam, Anurag Basu and Raju Hirani.
Nila Madhab Panda, who has made critically acclaimed films like I Am Kalam and Kadvi Hawa, gave the opening remarks on the day of the launch on April 3. "What is the top of hat image of Odisha” he asked. “It is one of poverty, famine and deaths. That is history now as Bhubaneswar compares with many European cities while roads in smaller Odisha towns remind you of Scotland," says Panda who has born in the Subarnapur district of western Odisha and struggled for the bare necessities of survival while growing up. His next film will be on the pollution menace in Delhi and is part of an international anthology feature.
