BHUBANESWAR: In Uttam Mohanty’s passing, the Odia film industry has lost one of its most endearing icons. For members of the industry, he was not just a versatile actor who guaranteed success but also a friend always ready to help, and a gracious mentor to the younger crop.
His co-actor in many of the hits Mahesweta Ray was inconsolable as the mortal remains were consigned to flames. Ray and Mohanty acted together in more than 20 films during the 70s and 80s. But for her, Mohanty was beyond just a co-actor. He was first a dearest friend and then family (his wife and actor Aparajita being her first cousin).
“I started my career with ‘Sesha Shrabana’ in 1976 when I was 17. He entered the industry with Abhimaan a year later. He was in his 20s then. We did our first film ‘Pati Patni’ together and since then, our bond had only grown strong,” she said.
Although the industry lacked basic amenities for a film crew back in the time, the duo came to the sets every day with a zeal to deliver their best. “We both were new to the industry with no godfather. The struggle was a lot during those days but that never affected his craft. He was very hardworking and knew he had to rise to the top in the industry. Which he did,” she recalled.
Both went on to do films like ‘Ashanta Graha’, ‘Nyayachakra’ and ‘Akuha Katha’, among others. Mohanty was a wonderful mentor and never said no to any actor or technical staff who came to him for help, Ray said.
Actor Kuna Tripathy, who also did around 20 to 25 films and a couple of serials with Mohanty, agreed. When Tripathy, previously an assistant director and TV actor, debuted in the film industry with ‘Kiye Kahara’ in 1997, Mohanty was a mega superstar. “But he would not hesitate to appreciate the work of a newcomer or think twice before jumping to help any struggling actor or even a spot boy. He was a lighthouse who guided new and struggling actors like us to the shore,” Tripathy said.
Stating that Mohanty was extremely versatile who would fit into any character, he said that there is none in the industry so far who can dub as fast as he would.
For veteran comedian Jayiram Samal, Mohanty was a younger brother. “Despite being a superstar, he was never arrogant or discourteous to any member of the fraternity. He was a complete director’s actor who wanted to improve in every shot he gave,” recalled Jayiram, who first acted with Mohanty in ‘Phoola Chandan’ in 1987.
His involvement in the industry was not just limited to acting. He helped producers and directors in making sure that their films did not face any bottlenecks, be it with finances or post-production issues, said producer Pradyumna Lenka.