Kendrapada: A one-hour long documentary, "Rabindranath in Pandua Village of Orissa", was recently shot in the seaside village of Pandua in Jagatsinghpur district.

"The documentary features the life and times of celebrated Bengali writer and poet, Rabindranath Tagore, who penned the famous dance drama, Chitrangada, in the seaside village of Pandua," said D Kumar, director of the film, adding that it is being shot to commemorate the Nobel laureate's 150th birth anniversary.

"It is a very moving film as it captures Tagore in his youth," said Biranchi Pradhan, one of the producers. "Many villagers from Pandua have been roped in to perform. They have put up an amazing act. We are making the film in such a way that it has a wide reach, beyond the borders of Bengal and Orissa."

The documentary draws out the inner world of the young poet when he visited Pandua in 1891 to look after his estates, which spilled beyond the confines of Pandua. It was during his stay here that he wrote Chitrangada. Still photos, archival footage and enacted clips create lyrical moments on camera. The film has a clip showing the young poet arriving in Pandua in a palanquin. "The film will be screened at various film festivals in the country and abroad," said Debi Prasad Prusti from the production team.

The film has been shot at various places in Pandua and its surrounding areas. One of the focal areas is Tagore's house, though dilapidated now. The pond, where the poet would often rest, also finds copious mention. Though made in Oriya language, the documentary will be released next month in cities across the country and the world with English sub-titles.