Bhubaneswar: In a new turn to the fight in Ollywood over 2-year ban on actor Manoj Mishra, the Odisha Film Producers and Distributors Guild on Monday announced that it would not follow the decision even as an organisation called Western Odisha bandh on November 15.
Announcing its decision at a presser in Bhubaneswar, general secretary of the Guild Arun Mohanty said all producers were not expected to follow what one person of the film industry decides.
Without naming any person, Mohanty said personal differences among actors or producers cannot hold the industry to ransom. “We announce not to follow the ban and will continue to work with Manoj,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Koshala State Joint Action Committee announced that 12-hour bandh will be observed across Western Odisha in protest against the move to deny Manoj to act in Odia films for two years.
Representatives of different organisations, including Kosal Sena and Kosal Mukti Morcha, also expressed their support to the bandh call.
It may be noted that Utkal Cine Chambers of Commerce (UCCC) had imposed the ban on Manoj after film ‘Ram’ was boycotted in Sambalpur. It was alleged that Manoj had a personal tiff with actor Jitu Mangaraj, who also featured in the film, and engineered the demonstration in cinema halls in Sambalpur.
“We discussed the issue at a meeting here and got enough evidence that Manoj Mishra is mainly responsible for the protest against the film ‘Ram’ in Sambalpur. Hence, all producers decided to not sign Manoj Mishra in their future projects for two years,” UCCC president Sanjay Nayak had said.
Following the ban, senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra warned of division of Odisha due to intolerant attitude of the actors of coastal region. BJP MLA Nauri Nayak also condemned it. “The ban on Manoj reflects the real colour of the coastal people. They are jealous of the success of any person from western Odisha. The actors from coastal Odisha are unable to accept the success of Manoj’s film ‘Mindgame’,” he said.
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