BHUBANESWAR: Veteran actor and yesteryear superstar Jharana Das who ruled the Odia film industry during its golden period in the 1960s and 1970s passed away on Thursday night at Cuttack. She was 82.
Born in 1940, doe-eyed Das ruled the hearts of viewers with memorable roles in films like ‘Malajahna’, ‘Amadabata’, ‘Adina Megha’, ‘Abhinetri’, ‘Shree Jagannath’, ‘Nari’, ‘Hira Nilla’ and many more Odia classics. Although she debuted in the Odia film industry with ‘Amada Bata’, her first film ‘Malajahna’ was offered to her by Nityananda Palit when she was just 18, said film historian Surya Deo.
A trained Odissi dancer under the tutelage of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, she started out as a child artiste in All India Radio in the 60s, Cuttack and retired as the station director of Doordarshan. During her stint in AIR and Doordarshan, Das also tried her hands at varied roles in several films which made her a household name.
Deo said Das started her career as the lead actress in ‘Malajahna’, ‘Amadabata’, ‘Adina Megha’, ‘Naba Janma’, ‘Abhinetri’ (all released in 60s and 70s) and then took a break from films. She returned to the industry in 1978 as a character artiste and went on to do films like ‘Shri Jagannath’, ‘Puja Phula’, ‘Hisab Nikas’, ‘Tike Hasa Tike Luha’, ‘Pratidhwani’ and ‘Jwain Pua’. Her last Odia film was ‘Suna Bhauja’ in 1994 in which she played the role of a mother.
Educationally, Das was the first graduate actress of Odia film industry. She was part of all films which were adaptations of Odia literature. For her contribution to the industry, Das was awarded the prestigious Jaydev Puraskar by the Odisha government.
People from all walks of life condoled the demise of the veteran. President of India Droupadi Murmu said she was saddened to know about the demise of the legendary actress. “She will always be remembered for her outstanding contribution to Odia film industry. My deepest condolences to the family and her admirers,” the President tweeted.
Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal said Das will be remembered for the magic she created through her acting skills and voice. Expressing deep grief, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said Das’ impactful performances on stage and films will always be remembered. “May her soul rest in peace and convey my condolences to the bereaved family,” he tweeted.
The chief minister also announced that the last rites of the eminent actress will be performed with full state honours. Das’ son Satyajeet Mohanty informed the last rites will be performed in Cuttack on Saturday.