CUTTACK/BHUBANESWAR: Eminent Jatra artiste Mahendra Das, popular as Jollywood’s Bhiku Seth, passed away following a severe heart attack at Cuttack on Saturday.
The 57-year-old actor had recently returned to his hometown Choudwar from Balasore after shooting for a show. He suffered a heart attack at around 1 pm and was rushed to a local nursing home. H
e breathed his last while being shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital. Das is survived by his wife Harsamani and three daughters.
A native of Kushupada village near Biranarasinghapur in Puri district, he was residing at Choudwar for the last 30 years and was associated with several opera troupes, primarily the Kalinga Gananatya.
His keen interest towards acting since childhood drew him to the world of drama and Das used to actively participate in operas in his village. It was in the year 1984 when Das entered Jollywood.
Known for his stage rhetoric and intense dialogue delivery, Das was the most popular villain of Jatra.
He became a household name for his outstanding role in the play ‘Saguna Basichi Dena Melai’ in 1991 which earned him the moniker of ‘Bhiku Seth’. The opera was produced by Janata Gananatya and directed by veteran opera director Sachi Das.
In his career spanning three decades, Das also worked with other Jatra troupes like Satasankha Opera, Bareswari Gananatya, Tarapur Opera, Janata Gananatya, Tulasi Gananatya. His shows like ‘Kanya Dana Mahapunya’, ‘Andha Deshe Gali Darpana Biki’, ‘Paunsha Talara Nian’, ‘Shaguna Basichi Dena Melai’, ‘Phata Kapala Ku Phika Sindura’, ‘Phula Anithili Phulabani Ru’, ‘Aaksha Kaean Chilika Machha’ and ‘Nakhi Nani Pua Bhagia’ brought him fame and accolades.
Das also had a stint with Ollywood in 1996 when he essayed the villain role alongside other actors like Uttam Mohanty and Siddhant Mohapatra in film ‘Jashoda’, was directed by late Hara Patnaik. Following his death, a pal of gloom descended on the Jatra industry. His last rites would be conducted at the Swargadwar in Puri.