Bhubaneswar: In what could be for the first time in Odisha history, two filmmakers from the state are representing the country in the Academy Awards for the year 2019, and if everything goes right, an award at the Oscars is not a surprise.
Producer Jitendra Mishra debuts at the Academy Awards with his much acclaimed Hindi Feature film The Last Color which is competing in the best picture category. Another poster boy of alternate films from Odisha, Susant Misra’s film Josef – Born in Grace has also made it to the contention list of the 92nd Oscar Awards.
Jitendra Mishra’s The Last Color, directed by celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, is based on his bestselling book in the same name. It brings into motion the age old taboos surrounding widows in Vrindavan and Varanasi in India. Veteran actress Neena Gupta is in the lead role in the film. The film is in the list of 344 feature films from across the globe eligible for the 2019 Academy Awards.
Susant Misra’s Josef – Born in Grace is a cinematic portrayal of a short story ‘Joseph’ written by well-known writer Umakanta Mahapatra. The period film, which is set in the Himalayas between the 60s and 80s, revolves around the life of a missionary doctor, Father O’Hara who raises an orphan boy named Josef with the help of his caretaker Maularam.