Details

An independent filmmaker with more than 20 years of experience in documentary and experimental cinema. Worked closely with indigenous communities of Odisha to make films for their campaigns to save their forests from mining companies. Trained indigenous youth to make their own films and organised regular film screenings in their villages. Moved to Mumbai in March 2025 with a bagful of stories to find a bigger canvas for my cinema.

Selected Filmography as Director:

1. Seventy thousand years ago there was a firestorm, 2021, 90 Mins, Odia, B&W – An experimental feature film depicting the ecological aspirations of the people.
2. Something Like an Autobiography, 2019, 45 Min, Odia – A short experimental film depicting the life of the filmmaker.
3. Who started the fire, 2019, 30 Min, English – An investigative documentary about forest fire in Indonesia.
4. The Mountain of Law, 2018, 10 Min, Kui – A short documentary about the tribal revolution of Niyamgiri.
5. Psychedelhi: Tabah Desh Mein Ek Din, 2017, 135 Min, Hindi – An experimental narrative fiction depicting politics, sexism, and casteism in society.
6. Khandadhaar: Walking the sword’s edge, 2015, 10 Min, Odia – A documentary about the resistance of Tribals against iron ore mining in Khandadhaar.
7. Devastation of Talabira, 2014, 10 Min, English – A photo feature depicting the impact of coal mining in the Ib river valley.
8. Against Police Atrocities, 2013, 40 Min, Odia – A documentary exposing the police atrocities on tribals in Niyamgiri.
9. The Cultural Bridge, 2012, 25 Min, English – The impact of mother tongue education in tribal villages of Koraput.
10. Cutoff, 2011, 15 Min, English – The conditions prevailing in the island villages of hydel projects in Koraput.
11. Potful, 2010, 20 Min, English – A documentary about the revival of indigenous grain banks amongst the tribals of Koraput to fight food scarcity and poverty
12. The Forest Speaks, 2010, 60 Min, English – A documentary about the Forest Rights Act and its implementation in Odisha.
13. Kalinga Nagar: Repression Diary, 2010, 50 Min, Odia – A documentary made in community participatory mode about Tribal land grabbed by one of the biggest and oldest Indian companies by deploying brute military power.
14. Sham Public Hearing. 2009, 35 Min, English – An investigative documentary about pollution and diseases from it in Lanjigarh due to an aluminum factory.
15. The Human Zoo, 2008, 10 Min, Odia – A short documentary about the Govt using the Tribes as objects in exhibitions.
16. Dhinki, 2009, 10 Min, Odia – An artistic documentary on the valiant resistance of the people of Dhinkia against steel companies.
17. Kotpad: The Loom, 2008, 5 Min, Odia – Documentary on the problems faced by the Tribal weavers of Kotpad who have preserved an ancient fabric dyeing technique using tree bark and roots.
18. Niyamgiri, 2008, 90 Min, Odia – Documentary on the Niyamgiri issue depicting the anti mining resistance of the Dongria Kondh tribe and exposes irregularities and illegalities by the Govt and a mining company.
19. Shot Dead for Development, 2008 – Animation film depicting the conflict between mining companies and tribals.
20. Lament, 2007, 12 Min, Kui – Ethnographic musical documentary about the Niyamgiri hills and the Dongria Kondh tribe.
21. Unknown Soldiers, 2005, 10 Min, Odia – Documentary about a youth Paika martial artist group in Nabarangpur town.
22. In the heartland, 2005, 15 Min, Odia – Short documentary about social issues faced by the Bonda tribals of Malkangiri.
23. Whose land is it anyway, 45 Min, 2006, English – Documentary about land alienation and displacement in Odisha.

Brief List of Film Festival Participation & other forums:

BYOFF, Puri, 2006, 2011, 2014, 2019

Lok Chitra Utsav, Bhubaneswar, 2007

Culture Unplugged (Online), 2007

Screenings at Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi, 2007

Short Film Fest, Karimnagar, 2007

Destination Asia, BBC, LONDON, 2008

Art Dubai, 2008

Goan People’s Film Festival, 2008

People’s Film Fest, Siliguri, 2008

KRITI Screenings, New Delhi, 2008

CINEMELA, New Delhi, 2009

VIBGYOR, Thrissur, 2009

Vikalp at Prithvi, Screenings, Mumbai, 2010

Madurai Film Festival, 2010

Special screening at German Parliament, 2010 & 2013

Sonapani Film Festival, 2011

Screenings by Creative Cinema Circle, Chandigarh, 2011

IWRTA Screenings, New Delhi, 2012

Pratirodh ka Cinema Film Festivals, Gorakhpur, Banaras, Nainital, Balia, Udaipur, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Patna, Ghaziabad, 2008-2015

Amnesty International Film Tour of Germany – Hannover, Heidelberg, Hamburg, Leipzig, Berlin, 2013

World Media Conference, Bonn, 2013

Unexpurgated, Bhubaneswar, 2016

Bali Indigenous Film Festival, Indonesia, 2018

Maoriland International Film Festival, New Zealand, 2018

Kalimantan Film Festival, Indonesia, 2018

Human Rights Film Fest, Chandigarh, 2018

BIFED, Ecological Documentary Fest, Turkey, 2018

Kolkata International Film Festival, 2018

Kuching Film Festival, Malaysia, 2019

The Chaffey Review Film Festival, California, USA, 2019

International Indigenous Film Festival, Bhubaneswar, 2019

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival, Mumbai, 2019

Cortomontagna Premio Legiimontagna, Udine, 2019

Human Rights Short Film Festival, Dhaka, 2020

Big Syn International Film Fest, London, 2021

Ecologico Film Festival, Rome, 2021

Golden FEMI Film Festival, Bulgaria, 2022

Voluntary work and other activity:

Founder, Video Republic, News Agency

Founder, Revolucinema, Production House

Founder, Viewfinder, Production House & School of Cinema

Visiting Lecturer of Cinema Studies, English Dept., Utkal University, Bhubaneswar

Visiting Lecturer, School of Journalism, Birla University, Bhubaneswar

Convener of Film Festivals – BYOFF, Cinema Ulgulan, Unexpurgated, etc.

Campaigner, Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti