Bhubaneswar: Cinema has come a long way today, be it in terms of technical advancement in movie-making, content and story lines or performances of artists. But nothing can compare to the charm of the sepia-tinted old movies. The ocotgenarian Odia film industry is a treasure trove of such classic films.

Film Journalists Forum (FJF) of Odisha is holding the film screening of the 1986 drama Stree tomorrow on the occasion of 50th 'Smruti Chaaya', an event known to have previously screened Odia classic movies such as Saadhana, Suryamukhi and Sansaara in its earlier editions. FJF founder and Odia film archivist and historian Surya Deo has released the trailer of Stree, on social media to give a glimpse of this classic Odia feature film.

Legendary actors Parbati Ghose and Gour Prasad Ghose not only essayed the leading characters in the movie, but also directed it alongside Ramachandra Thakur, an acclaimed director from Mumbai, lovingly called 'Thakur Bhai'. This directorial trio was referred to by a pseudonym called 'Siddharth'. Made on a budget of Rs. 1,87,000, it premiered in Rourkela and was attended by the then Odisha chief minister Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo.

This film also marked the debut of eminent actors such as Sujata Anand, Shyamalendu Bhattacharya, Jadunath Routray and dance director Guru Raghu Dutta. Stree was awarded the President's Silver Medal for Best Odia Film in 1968 (along with cash prize of Rs. 5,000), that was received by Parbati Ghose from President of India V V Giri  at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on 13 February 1970 and made a hat-trick of National Awards for actor-director-producer duo Gour-Parbati.

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Renowned musician Akshaya Mohanty sung 'Jhumi Jhumi Aase Aakhi' in this movie, that had memorable songs, composed by Bhubaneswar Mishra. Music director Swaroop Nayak was also seen in a comic role named 'Bijuli' in this film that won him recognition and penned the lyrics of 'Kali Juga Krushna Muhin Tu Mo Heroine', also sung by Akshaya Mohanty.

The screening of Stree will be preceeded by release of booklets on iconic Ollywood couple Gour-Parbati and this movie and felicitation of those associated with the film for their contribution, at Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre auditorium at 5:45 pm, tomorrow.