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In 2022, when Babushaan Mohanty-starrer Daman hit the screens, it marked a watershed moment in the history of Odia films, winning back lost Odia audience, gaining new ones outside the state, and even winning a national award along the way. It assured audiences that the once-glorious days of Odia cinema are back, ushered in by a new crop of filmmakers, writers, and actors who want to break free from the ignominy of a weak past replete with cheap replication.

Highest-grossing Odia film

Babushaan’s latest release, Bou buttu bhutawhich also stars his mother and veteran Odia actor Aparajita Mohanty along with Archita Sahu, has taken that success many notches higher. The film, made on a meagre budget of Rs 2-3 crore, within three weeks of its release, has garnered rave reviews and emerged as the highest-grossing Odia film of all time, raking in almost 12 crore at the box office in 17 days.

The horror flick, which is inching towards the Rs 15-crore mark, has not just surpassed the box office records of hits like Daman (Rs 7.5 crore), Karma (Rs 6.50 crore) and Pabar (Rs 3.50 crore), but has also shattered the record of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan (Rs 10.40 crore) in Odisha. It is on its way to overtake earnings of pan-India blockbusters like Jawan (Rs 14.75 crore), KGF 2 (Rs 15.25 crore), Pushpa 2 (Rs 22 crore), and Bahubali 2 (Rs 15.50 crore) in the state.

Directed by debutant director Jagdish Misha, and produced by Babushaan Films, the actor’s own production house, the film was released on June 12 ahead of ‘Raja’ festival in Odisha.

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Slice of rural life

Bou buttu bhuta (meaning mother, Buttu, ghost) tells the story of Ratnamala, a doughty exorcist who lives in a nondescript village with her son, Buttu, a fish farmer, who seeks a better life. Their peace, however, is short-lived as a series of mysterious events ruffle the quietude of their village. How the mother-son navigate the hauntings and their personal battles form the rest of the story.

For those who haven’t watched the film, a look at the trailer gives a peek into the rollercoaster ride it has promised to be. Blending horror with intermittent splashes of comedy and local folklore, the film seems to offer the audience a slice of life in rural Odisha.

Rooted in Odia culture

Critics and audiences have praised the film for its original storytelling – a welcome departure from the past trend of copying scripts from South Indian movies – made richer with a conscious effort to tap into the subtle intricacies of Odia life, culture, and language, reflected copiously in the film’s dialogues and songs.

Reviewers have lauded writer Mohammad Imran for enriching the storytelling with distinct elements only found in Odisha – be it the black magic clandestinely practised in interior villages, rural aspirations to move to the city, cultural identities, village politics, local festivals, beliefs and even names. For instance, one can only find names like ‘Buttu’ or ‘Gelhi’ in Odisha.

The film’s dialogues, penned by Pranab Prasanna Rath, are carefully crafted to show how rural life and innocence are intact, but not completely shorn of modern influences. The dialogues also blend Odia idioms and humour with modern sensibilities.

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A character tells Butu, “Your life won’t change in this village. Habibi, come to Dubai with me,” only for him to reply, “Bhai, my mother doesn’t even allow me to go to Dhabaleshwar (a pilgrimage site in Odisha) with friends, forget about Dubai.”

Horror genre

With the storyline deeply entrenched in folklore, the makers’ effort to catch the horror trend seems to have paid off with competent work on cinematography, VFX, and an eerie background score.

The film is probably the first in the Odia industry in a long time that has managed to create jump scares and nail-biting sequences one would expect of a Bollywood spine-chiller.

The film’s cinematographer, Rudrakanta Singh, is getting rave reviews for employing elements of horror camera work – dim lighting, eerie night-time shots etc. – as a contrast to the comic shots in daytime or to capture the idyllic village landscape.

Abhishek Panigrahi, who has given the film’s background score, seamlessly moves between the horror, comic, and rural elements of the film and has used local instruments for a rustic touch.

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Foot-tapping compositions by Gaurav Anand – item song Devil is already a reel staple – and Oda Lage provide a much-needed relief to all the drama, gore, and scare factor of the film.

Feisty Ratnamala Aka Aparajita

A massive crowd-puller is 63-year-old Aparajita Mohanty, who plays the plucky Ratnamala aka Bou (Buttu’s mom). She prefers a quart over a pint and speaks to spirits like she is reprimanding a haughty schoolkid. The film is Aparajita’s first since she lost her actor-husband Uttam Mohanty this year, and has given her a clean canvas to try on an entirely new character, full of spunk and grit, and different from the roles of a chirpy village girl, a glamourous dame or an obedient Odia ‘bohu’ (daughter-in-law) she has played in her prime.

Babushane Factor

Babushaan’s character arc, from a dreamy-eyed village lad nurturing ambitions and romancing his sweetheart to a possessed man, is one of the most-loved sequences in the film.

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“When it is, Burt to Bettu (mother, oh mother, don’t you see, I am your Buttu),” is one of the menacing dialogues in the film, which can run a chill down the spine.

The film could be called yet another successful experiment by the actor, who over the past few years has dabbled with genres, thanks to films like Daman and Pawaarto graduate from his earlier ‘chocolate boy’ image to play characters that resonate with the masses.