BHUBANESWAR: VETERAN filmmaker and actor Govind Tej passed away at a private hospital in the Capital City on Thursday. He was 88 and is survived by wife Sushma, son Debashish and daughters Bismita and Anandmayee. Tej was ailing for the last few days.
In his career spanning nearly five decades, Tej donned roles of actor, director and producer in Odia film industry. At the age of 25, Tej debuted as an actor in the Odia movie 'Kedar Gauri' (1954) and went on to do films like 'Maa', 'Naga Phasa', 'Bandhana', 'Dharitri', 'Bandhu Mohanty', 'Gauri', 'Ramayana', 'Krushna Sudama' and 'School Master'. For 'Bandhu Mohanty' (1977), directed by Nitai Palit, he received the Odisha State Film Award for Best Actor.
He started his career as a director in 1979 with 'Ramayana' and in 1976, Tej had produced 'Krushna Sudama' under the banner of New Life Productions.
Tej adapted three Odia novels into films which include author Gayatri Basumallick's 'Kaveri' that featured Mahasweta and Sriram Panda. The other two films are Kanhu Charan's 'Tunda Baida' and Bibhuti Patnaik's 'Dhuli Ghara' that was made by the name 'Gare Sindura Dhare Luha'. In fact, 'Gare Sindura Dhare Luha' (2001) was his last directorial venture featuring Anu Choudhury and Sritam. He got the Best Director Award for 'Gare Sindura Dhare Luha', 'Tunda Baida', 'Kaveri' and 'School Master'. Tej received the prestigious Jaydev Puraskar in 1986 for his contribution towards Odia cinema.
Members of the Odia film fraternity, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Culture Minister Ashok Panda condoled Tej's death. In a statement, Naveen said Tej was a versatile actor and an extremely talented filmmaker. "His death marks the end of an era in Odia film industry," he added. While Panda said Tej was instrumental in setting a new trend in the film industry, Union Minister Pradhan said Odisha has lost a prolific actor with the death of Tej.