Itirani Samanta

Itirani Samanta (born 1970) is an Indian writer, film producer, editor and journalist. She produced national film award winning movie Kathantara in 2005. She is the editor of monthly family magazine of Odisha, The Kadambini and children's magazine The Kunikatha.[1]

Itirani Samanta
Born1970 (age 49–50)
Cuttack, Odisha
NationalityIndian
EducationM.A in Literature, M.A. (Journalism and Mass Communication), Ph.D (Literature)
Alma materUtkal University, Visva-Bharati University
Occupationwriter, editor, film producer
ChildrenShreejit Abhishek
RelativesAchyuta Samanta (Elder brother)
AwardsNational Film Award, Odisha State Film Awards

Samanta is the National Film Award recipient for Best Film production in 2005 and Odisha State Film Awards 2014 recipient for best story writer.[2]

Early life and education

Samanta was born in 1970 in Kalarabanka, a rural hinterland in Cuttack, Odisha. She is the youngest child among seven siblings of Anadi Charan Samanta and Nilimarani Samanta. Her father, who passed away while she was only four months old, nor have a family income to support her early education.[3] She is the youngest sister of Achyuta Samanta, an Indian politician and Educationist. Samanta did her schooling from her village and completed high school from Cuttack. She has done B.E. in Electronics & Telecommunication from Bhubaneswar. She completed post Graduate in Odia Literature and did her Masters from Utkal University. Samanta honored with Ph.D from Visva-Bharati University. Samanta was also awarded Junior and prestigious Senior Fellowship of the Ministry of Culture (India).[4]

Career

Samanta started her career as an author and wrote her first book 'Tathaapi', a short stories collection published in 2001. Samanta wrote 20 books to till date. Her books have received rave reviews and have been appreciated by readers also.

Samanta founded Kadambini Media Pvt. Ltd. in 2000 and launched her first Premier monthly family magazine of Odisha The Kadambini. She also launched children's magazine Kunikatha under this media company. Dr Samanta also serves as the editor of these two largest Odia magazines.[4][5]

Filmography

Samanta debut as a producer and scriptwriter from the film Kathantara (2005),[6] a film with 1999 Super-cyclone as its backdrop. Kathantara went on to bag 8 awards in the 18th Odisha State Film Awards-2005 and Silver Lotus for the Best Odia Feature Film 2006 in the 53rd National Film Awards.[7] She produced and wrote her second feature film Krantidhara (2014), based on the struggle of women in grass root politics which has been highly acclaimed by critics and audiences in various national and international film festivals and owned 3 Awards in the Odisha State Film Awards-2014.[8]

Samanta produced a short film Kahani Nuhen in 2013 was adjudged the Best Short Film at the 1st Odisha State Tele-Film Award from the Culture Department, Government of Odisha.[9][10][11]

Samanta produced and directed two educational films titled Chithhi and Kanyaaratna and tele film Taapoi and a play Kaanta-Kaantaa. She Also produced several documentary promotional films for Government of Odisha, such as Ballav Speaks.

Television
  • Bhinna Manisha Bhinna Katha (A unique television series on lives of Transgenders)
  • Kadambini Ama Patrika (A weekly literary television magazine)
  • Kahani Gita Pachhara (The untold story behind popular Odia songs)
  • Katha Apanka Pasandara (A television show to know celebrities of various fields through their favourable choices)
  • Glamour Lane (A television show on the glamour world of cinema and television)
  • Chit Chat (An intimate gossip between two celebrity actors)

Bibliography

Writer
  • Tathaapi (Collection of short stories), (2001 – 1st edition), (2005 – 2nd edition), (2010 – 3rd edition), (2015 – 4th edition), ISBN 978-93-85350-00-9, P.72
  • Iti Tora Lipsa (Collection of short stories), (2012 – 1st edition), ISBN 978-81-920553-7-4, P.232
  • Jhada Parara Surya O Krantidhara, (2017 – 1st edition), ISBN 978-93-85350-05-4, P.176
  • Niraba Alapa, (2013 – 1st edition), ISBN 978-81-920553-8-1, P.152
  • Sakuntala Ra Jhia (Daughter of Sakuntala), novel, 2017, ISBN 978-93-85350-07-8, P.256
  • Sakuntala's Daughter, novel, 2019, ISBN 978-93-89110-24-1, P.317

Editorial collections
  • Itibruti (editorial collection, Part-1), (2006 – 1st edition), (2015 – 2nd edition), ISBN 978-93-85350 Parameter error in {{ISBN}}: Invalid ISBN., P.64
  • Itibruti (editorial collection, Part-2), (2010 – 1st edition), (2015 – 2nd edition), ISBN 978-93-85350 Parameter error in {{ISBN}}: Invalid ISBN., P.96

Literary criticism
  • Mudrita Nayika (the Thesis), (2019 – 1st edition), ISBN 978-93-85350-13-9, P.464
  • Kathaare Kathaare Upanyaasa Re Naaricharitra (a collection of research oriented interviews, Part-1), (2011 – 1st edition), ISBN 978-81-920553-0-5, P.400
  • Kathaare Kathaare Upanyaasa Re Naaricharitra (a collection of research oriented interviews, Part-2), (2012 – 1st edition), ISBN 978-81-920553-1-2, P.342
  • Kunakuninku Chithi (collection of letters)
    • Volume-1, (2019 - 1st edition), ISBN 978-93-85350-09-2, P.98
    • Volume-2, (2019 - 1st edition), ISBN 978-93-85350-10-8, P.98
    • Volume-3, (2019 - 1st edition), ISBN 978-93-85350-11-5, P.98
    • Volume-4, (2019 - 1st edition), ISBN 978-93-85350-12-2, P.98

Feature collection and interviews
  • Prasanga Guchha (a collection of features), (2018 – 1st edition), ISBN 978-93-85350-08-5, P.832
  • Kathabarta (a collection of interviews), (2017 – 1st edition), ISBN 978-93-85350-06-1, P.576

Compilations
  • Charchaare Chandrasekhar (Book of Essays), (2012 – 1st edition), ISBN 978-81-920553-4-3, P.392
  • Kadambini Aama Rosei (collection of recipes)
    • Volume-1, (2007 - 1st edition), (2017 - 2nd edition), ISBN 978-93-85350-09-2, P.66
    • Volume-2, (2012 - 1st edition), (2017 - 2nd edition), ISBN 978-93-85350 Parameter error in {{ISBN}}: Invalid ISBN.-04-07, P.82
    • Volume-3, (2014 - 1st edition), (2017 - 2nd edition), ISBN 978-81-920553-2-9, P.82

Philanthropy and journalism

Samanta is the Secretary of Nilimarani Memorial Charitable Trust, named after her mother Nilimarani, Who has taken the initiative for reforming her native village Kalarabanka to a model village in 2006. Presently she is managing two schools, Kalinga English Medium School and Kalarabanka High School. She has united local youths to take up developmental and cultural works of the village.[12]

In 2017, she also worked as a journalist for her magazine Kadambini to change the mind set of society towards the community of transgender. In this regard she published a 150 page report in the magazine. She also launched a special programme, Bhinna Manisha Bhinna Katha, through her media house Kadambini Media The program has aired on Kalinga TV since 2 July 2018.[13][14]

Awards & achievements

Films

Editing
  • Kaliprasad Das Upanyas Samman
  • Akhyaya Sahitya Samman for best story writer 2010
  • Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhabana Award – 2008 & 2007 (as best editor)[17]

Other accolades

Samanta has held positions in the government, public and private bodies such as:

  • Member, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Ministry of I & B, Govt. of India
  • Member, General Council, Odisha Sahitya Academy, Bhubaneswar, 2011–2013
  • Member, Post Forum, Postal Dept., Odisha

References
  1. "Iti Samanta to contest from Kandhamal Lok Sabha Seat?". Odisha News Hawk. 11 March 2019.
  2. "Iti Samanta: Movies, Photos, Videos, News, Biography & Birthday | eTimes". timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
  3. Das, Ayaskant. "Founder of KIIT& KISS Achyuta Samanta bereaved | OdishaSunTimes.com".
  4. "My achievement so far, only the first step: Renowned novelist Dr Iti Samanta – Kalinga TV | DailyHunt Lite". Dailyhunt.
  5. "BSG organizes Symposium on Dr. Daisaku Ikeda's 2017 Peace Proposal in Bhubaneswar". Business News This Week. 16 September 2017.
  6. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Iti-Samanta
  7. https://www.dailypioneer.com/2015/state-editions/promotion-drive-for-good-cinema-missing-in-odisha.html
  8. Sep 29, ip Bal. "Krantidhara bags an award in Seoul". The Times of India.
  9. "Tribal Boy Bags Best Child Artiste Award". enarada.com. 7 February 2014.
  10. "Wielding the director's baton – Orissa Post". Dailyhunt.
  11. ":: Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) – a home for 25,000 tribal children". archive.kiss.ac.in.
  12. "Youth urged to play for global peace". Outlookindia.com.
  13. "Incident, From Where Originated The Concept Of Transgender's Tale, 'Bhinna Manisha Bhinna Katha'". Justice News.
  14. "INTERACTION of Dr ITI SAMANTA with LAXMI NARAYAN TRIPATHY – Youtube Video Download Mp3 HD Free". juanjosealvarez.com (in Vietnamese).
  15. P, Bhabani P. "7th Odia Film Fare Awards 2016 (March 29, 2017) – Complete Nominees List". OdiaPortal.IN.
  16. "Dr. Iti Samanta bags Best Story Award". KalingaTV. 30 March 2017.
  17. "Dr Iti Samanta is editor of Odisha's most circulated magazine 'Kadambini'". KalingaTV. 5 September 2019.

Iti Samnta on IMDb

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