The investment of chit fund money in Odia filmmaking took a new turn on Thursday with the Odia Film Producers’ Association announcing to hold a meeting in Cuttack on Friday to take tough action against those like the Oscar company who have invested chit fund or any other illegally-sourced money in the industry.
“We are disappointed over the allegations that some film producers have invested illegally-gotten money. Inserting dialogues in films to promote certain companies owned by the concerned producers are also not acceptable to the industry,” said association president Kusha Ranjan Patnaik.
He said the association would take some tough actions at tomorrow’s meeting. Though he did not elaborate the action to be taken, some members said the producers who have invested chit fund and other illegally-gotten money would be blacklisted.
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch on the day interrogated Oscar chit fund owner Prabhas Rout and company director Tara Prasad Hota. Similarly, the CB also quizzed Prabhas’ son in connection with the Oscar chit fund operation.
A three-member team led by a DCP-level officer left for Gujarat on Thursday to conduct probes with focus on promotional activities done by Ollywood actors in favour of the Oscar company there.
According to sources, Tara Prasad, who was director of Gujarat branch of the company, has told the EOW officers that some film actors from Odisha had gone there to promote the company.
The Oscar has allegedly duped people of over Rs 100 crore in Gujarat alone, according to sources.