Filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda, who has been hailed for projects like Kadvi Hawa and me, Kalam, says he’s currently writing his next, a future crime thriller.
Panda said the as-yet-untitled film will fuel its drive to capture stories about climate change on screen.
“My next project is a project to investigate future crimes. It’s a new genre for me. It’s almost like surviving without rivers? The writing continues, it will take at least a year to hit the ground. The idea stayed with me for a long time, but I’m finally working on it, ”said Panda PTI on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
During the festival, Panda’s Odiya film Kalira Atita was shown in the Indian Panorama Non section.
The 46-year-old filmmaker is known for highlighting social and environmental causes through his work.
While his release in 2018, Halkaa, followed the story of a young slum boy from Mumbai who dreams of owning a toilet, his acclaimed Kadvi Hawa was based on true stories from drought-prone areas.
The film, which received a special mention at the 64th National Film Awards, featured actor Sanjay Mishra as a blind, indebted farmer.
With Kalira Atita, Panda also deals with the effects of climate change and follows the story of a person who lost his home and family to the sea.
Panda was shot with a 60-person crew in 2019 and said the film was a “flashy reality”. It originated from a newspaper clipping he saw when a hand pump was submerged in Orissa.
“When I did my research, I learned how four villages on the east coast of Orissa were submerged. We cannot even imagine what the effects of climate change will be in the future. My films talk about this shock value. I may not be able to change socialmediagossips. But at least I can ask questions, ”he added.
Panda said his 83-minute film puts a man’s emotional trauma at the center of his storytelling and tracks the devastating effects of tragedy on him.
“The protagonist in my film is a victim of the often overlooked but most important emotional impact of climate change. It turns out that the sea is engulfing his village, after which he thinks that his family and village went to the sea.
“He’s starting to believe that a better world is waiting for him. My film focuses more on this man’s emotions. Kalira Atita means yesterday’s past; My protagonist is literally living in the past, ”he added.
