Film director Dillip Panda answers actress Elsha’s allegations

Bhubaneswar: Audio release ceremony of the upcoming Odia film ‘Tu Mo Suna Chadhei’ was held in a hotel in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. During the ceremony, Elsha, one of the lead actresses of the film, brought allegation against Dillip Panda, director of the film. She told media that she was invited to act in the lead role but later her role was reduced. She also alleged that she was mentally tortured by Panda.

In reciprocation to the actress’ allegations the film producers’ association and the directors’ association of Odisha conducted a joint press meet today at a hotel in Bhubaneswar where they intimated media persons that the allegations of the actress are false and baseless.

One of the allegations was that the actress was assured to be filmed in a certain number of songs which was later reduced. Answering this allegation Panda said, “Although all the songs were scheduled to be released at one go, later the production company (of the film) decided to release some of the songs later so that all the songs can be provided enough publicity. Unfortunately the actress was supposed to act in these songs.”

The second allegation was about mental harassment. Answering this allegation the director said, “It is a big budget film which was completed in five shooting schedules. The actress was given royal treatment during the shoot. She was provided with luxury hotels to stay and flight service to travel, during the shoot. As the film had many graphics work and snake scenes, the shooting could not be completed in due time. A thirty days schedule was initially fixed while practically it took 45 days to finish the whole shoot.”

Panda also questioned, “If she (the actress) was mentally harassed, why she did not complain about it before the audio release or in a separate press meet?”

Odia film directors Sanjay Nayak, Jyoti Das, Ranjan Mishra, Rajib Mohanty and producers Shreedhar Martha, Lokanath Das, Litu Mohanty, Atish Rout and media coordinator Pranay Jethy were present in the press meet among others.

Also read: AR Rahman To Perform Live In Odisha’s Cuttack