Sankha Mahuri

Sankha Mahuri – From Stage to Screen

An ambitious adaptation of an Odia stage classic that captured the spirit of theatre on celluloid.

At a time when Odia cinema was witnessing a surge of remakes from other languages, playwright Balaram Mishra took the initiative to adapt his acclaimed Odia play Sankha Mahuri into a feature film. Originally staged by Annapurna ‘B’ Group and widely appreciated, the play had also been performed by numerous amateur theatre troupes across rural Odisha.

Origins and Vision

Balaram Mishra collaborated with Manmohan Das and K.P. Johar of Jaipur to set up a film production company. To meet financial needs, the trio brought in Shakti Bikram Dev, the young king of Jaipur, as a partner. Manmohan Das, a former police SI who later managed a money-circulation business and the royal cashew orchards, had strong ties with the Jaipur royal family. At that time, the responsibilities of the royal household were overseen by the Rajmata. Shakti Bikram, grandson of the late Maharaja Bikram Dev Varma – renowned literary figure and founder of the now-defunct Bikram Studios – agreed to join the project upon Rajmata’s approval. Thus, the production company was named ‘Shakti Katha Chitra’ after him, with Shakti Bikram Dev, Manmohan Das, and K.P. Johar as its partners. The project was spearheaded by Balaram Mishra.

However, tragedy struck early. The untimely demise of Balaram Mishra, the visionary behind Sankha Mahuri, cast a shadow on the project – similar to the loss of Kalyan Gupta during the making of Jayadeb. Following his death, Manmohan Das assumed the role of chief organizer.

Production Journey

Prior to his passing, Balaram had chosen Akshay Mohanty (Kashyap) as the director, as he had frequently staged Sankha Mahuri under his direction. This marked Akshay Mohanty’s directorial debut. He co-directed the film with R.G. Gope from Madras, and together they developed the screenplay. Akshay Mohanty also wrote the dialogues. The legendary musician Balakrushna Dash, selected earlier by Balaram Mishra, composed the music, while cinematography was handled by Benjamin from Madras.

Outdoor sequences were shot in Jaipur, while indoor scenes and all laboratory work – from editing to printing – were completed in Madras. Censoring was done in Calcutta. Meanwhile, a three-room house in Unit-3, Bhubaneswar, was rented to serve as the distribution office for Sankha Mahuri. Prominent producer-director and distributor Gopal Ghosh joined the company for a year at Akshay Mohanty’s request to oversee distribution. Under his guidance, the film was certified in Calcutta.

The cast featured Dr. Baliyar Singh, Ajit Das, Ashok Chakravarthy, Nari, Ramachandra Pratihari, Gopal, Mahasweta, Dr. Sudharani Jena, Anita Das, Sangeetha, Geeta, and others. The songs “Saathire Ama Geetire (Sung by: Pranab Patnaik, Sekhar Ghosh)” and “Ratani Gajgamani Tu Lo Banija Moro Gharani (Sung by: Sekhar Ghosh, Swarupa Chakravarthy) became popular.

Cast & Crew

• Directors: Akshay Mohanty (Kashyap), R.G. Gope
• Producers: Shakti Bikram Dev, Manmohan Das, K.P. Johar
• Production Co.: Shakti Katha Chitra
• Original Playwright: Balaram Mishra
• Dialogues & Screenplay: Akshay Mohanty (Kashyap)
• Cinematography: Benjamin (Madras)
• Editing by: R.G. Gope
• Art Direction: V. Bhaskar
• Lyrics: Narayan Prasad Singh, Kalicharan Patnaik, Lokjanani Panda
• Music Director: Balakrushna Dash

Main Cast:

• Ajit Das
• Dr. Baliyar Singh
• Mahasweta Ray
• Ashok Chakravarthy
• Ramachandra Pratihari
• Dr. Sudharani Jena
• Anita Das
• Narendra Behera (Nari)
• Gopal
• Sangeetha
• Geeta

Release & Reception

Sankha Mahuri premiered in Jaipur in December 1978 and was simultaneously screened in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Puri. Only four prints were made. In Cuttack, it ran at Suraj and Hind Talkies. Although audiences appreciated the music and performances, the film failed to achieve commercial success.

Behind-the-Scenes Drama

Later, financial disputes arose. The revenue from ticket sales did not properly reach Rajmata, prompting her to visit the Bhubaneswar distribution office. Finding Manmohan Das absent, she consulted with Gopal Ghosh and took account books and related documents back to Jaipur. Subsequently, Manmohan Das left Bhubaneswar.

Songs:

• Sathire Sathire Ama Geetire (Singer: Pranab Patnaik, Sekhar Ghosh | Lyrics: Narayan Prasad Singh)
• Nirashe Jibana Mo Bitila (Singer: Vani Jayaram | Lyrics: Narayan Prasad Singh)
• Soi Jaa Tu Rajkumar (Singer: Vani Jayaram | Lyrics: Narayan Prasad Singh)
• Ratani Gaja Gamani (Singer: Shekhar Ghosh, Swarupa Chakravarty | Lyrics: Narayan Prasad Singh)
• Pitru Satya Pari Ram (Singer: Bhikari Charan Bal | Lyrics: Narayan Prasad Singh)
• Rai Kishori Na Kara Mana (Singer: Bhikari Charan Bal | Lyrics: Kalicharan Patnaik)
• Asa Priyatama (Singer: Pranab Patnaik, Swarupa Chakravarty | Lyrics: Narayan Prasad Singh)
• Mane Mane Mana Bane (Singer: Vani Jayaram | Lyrics: Lokjanani Panda)
  

Movie Artworks:

Reference:Odia Chalachitra Ra Agyat Adhyaya by Bhim Singh, Odiamelody