Odia film ‘Rangashoor’ movie review
The film is based on the struggle of a father and his daughter to preserve the legacy of ‘Bagha Nacha’, a traditional folk dance from Odisha’s Ganjam
Bhubaneswar: Odia film ‘Rangashoor’ was released on January 10, 2025, Sunday in the theatres. The Pratap Rout directorial film is based on the struggle of a father and his daughter to preserve the legacy of ‘Bagha Nacha’, a traditional folk dance from Odisha’s Ganjam district.
Besides, the film also speaks about women’s empowerment and challenges societal taboos, promoting a more inclusive and progressive culture.
Plot
Chitra, played by Suryamayee, the leading lady of the film, is the daughter Ghania, the character played by Choudhury Jayprakash Das, a prominent tiger dance performer from Odisha’s Ganjam.
At the time of birth of Chitra, her mother dies. After some years, as Ghania grows older, the question arises who will preserve the legacy of this traditional dance.
The condition is that the successor should have the lineage of the teacher while he should be a male. Though Ghania has a tiger dance disciple named Lakha, played by Deepanwit Dasmohapatra, he is not the son of the teacher which disqualifies him.
Meanwhile the village Sarpanch Madhav Mohanty, played by Samaresh Routray plots to make Banka the tiger dance successor. Yet, somehow Chitra was chosen as the successor.
Later, during a performance on the stage, Chitra started her (menstruation) period which was a big setback for her. Meanwhile she leads the villagers to fight against tyranny of the Sarpanch and becomes his enemy. Also, a DFO comes to take charge of the forest who gets closer to Chitra. Like this the plot moves through ups and downs and finally Chitra becomes the accused of a murder. The film ends with a marvellous climax.
Review
The film is worth watching because the message conveyed through the script is unique, interesting and closely related to Odishan art and culture. Besides, the performance of all the characters are praise worthy with special mention to that of Surmayee Mohapatra and Choudhury Jayprakash Das. Also, the audience will get to watch picturesque visuals besides the thrills of the tiger dance in the film. This script purely dwells upon an Odia subject that has been perfectly rendered through ‘Rangashoor’.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Director: Pratap Rout
Starring: Suryamayee, Choudhury Jayprakash, Dipanwit, Samaresh, Subhashis Sharma, Jyoti, Subhashree Jena, Susant Das Mohapatra
Tiger Dance of Ganjam
The Tiger Dance of Ganjam is a traditional folk dance from the Ganjam district of Odisha. It’s a vibrant and energetic dance that showcases the rich cultural heritage of the region.
During the dance, performers wear tiger costumes and mimic the movements of tigers, creating a thrilling and dynamic atmosphere. The dance is often performed during festivals and celebrations.
