Bhubaneswar: Odia feature film LAHARI has earned an official selection at the 20th edition of the Tasveer Film Festival—popularly known as the Seattle South Asian Film Festival—the only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival in the world. 

The film will be screened on October 8 in Seattle, USA.

Released across Odisha on September 12, LAHARI opened to warm reviews and continues to run successfully in theaters. The film had its world premiere at the Kolkata International Film Festival and has since been showcased at acclaimed platforms such as the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and the Rhode Island International Film Festival. It has also been selected for the Mumba International Film Festival, where it will be screened on September 25 at the prestigious National Film Archive of India, Pune.

Director Amartya Bhattacharyya shared his excitement:

“My films have been selected at over 200 international festivals worldwide, including some of the best in the world, but this is the first time one of my films has been chosen at an Oscar-qualifying festival. I am thrilled—this Seattle festival had been on my wish list for years. Finally, with LAHARI, we achieved it. Since the film is still in theaters, I urge all film lovers in Odisha to watch this internationally celebrated Odia film. Opportunities to see such films on the big screen are rare, and we should embrace them wholeheartedly.”

Produced by actress Jhilik Bhattacharjee under the banner of Jhilik Motion Pictures, LAHARI features Choudhury Jayaprakash Das, Choudhury Bikash Das, Dipanwit Dashmohapatra, Susant Misra, and Swastik Choudhury in lead roles. Cameos include popular names like Babushaan Mohanty, Devasis Patra, Hara Ratha, and Jhilik herself. The film’s music is composed by Kisaloy Roy, with songs rendered by Gaurav Anand, Navya Jaiti, and Kisaloy.

Uniquely, LAHARI highlights themes of organic ecotourism and rural entrepreneurship, while featuring a diverse cast drawn from 15 different countries—a first in the history of Odia cinema.