By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, October 1, 2016

eh rangaboti re rangaboti
ho rangaboti re rangaboti
hai rangaboti rangaboti kanaka lata hasi pade kaha lo katha
eh rangabati rangabati kanaka lata hasi pade kaha lo katha………
[O colourful lady….smile and say a word…..You are like a golden creeper….
You are like a full moon in a damaged house…]

Rangabati, arguably the most popular recorded song from western Odisha, describes a woman’s beauty in an intoxicating manner. The song is so popular that over the years it has bridged the gap between the tastes that rule the castles and the street. Across generations – from truck drivers to college students, everyone has tapped to its beat and poetic beauty.

Now an attempt has been made to make a documentary of the song. The 11.46 min documentary ‘Endless Journey of a Song…Rangabati’ was beamed for a select group including members from Ollywood and media.
During the programme, the original vocalists Jitendra Haripal and Krishna Patel were felicitated for their extraordinary contribution to Odia folk music.

The documentary produced by Prelude showcases the story behind the making of the song. The duo Jitendra Haripal, Krishna Patel and others associated with the song narrated their experience in the short film.

“In this era of social media, the new age artists have taken the music industry by storm and cover versions of this song is hugely popular amongst the youth. But let us not forget the original singers and composers who made this song in the first place. Through this documentary, we hope to let today’s generation know about the rich history of our folk music that inspires the latest music trends,” said Satyabrat Sanu Ratho, co-founder of Prelude.

“The teasers of the documentary are already a hit in the social media. The youth is very appreciative of classy numbers and their interest to know about the story behind this song, its singers and its journey is very inspiring and encouraging,” said debutant director Raj Rajesh.

The documentary shall be available across Youtube and Facebook so as to reach maximum number of audience and spread the beauty of Odia folk music and its legendary singers beyond borders.

“Editor Sripad Lala, Cinematographer Dev Mohapatra and Sound Engineer Bhakta Baschal have done a marvellous job with this documentary. I sincerely thank Prasant Nanda, Srikant Goutam, Gopal Pradhan, Nila Madhab Panda and Sona Mohapatra for their contribution to this film,” Raj added.