Bhubaneswar, June 30 -- A fresh controversy erupted over the Odisha State Film Awards, with actor Manoj Mishra questioning the selection of Harihara Mahapatra as the Best Actor for the 2023 film Dho Re Babu Dho. The row triggered a war of words, with political allegations also surfacing over the award.

The controversy began after claims that Harihara Mahapatra, who is associated with the BJP, was conferred the Best Actor award because of his political affiliation. The allegations sparked widespread debate on social media, where questions were raised over whether political considerations influenced the State Film Awards.

The State Film Awards for 2023 and 2024 were announced last week. Harihara Mahapatra received the Best Actor award for...