How did you manage working as a government officer and acting siultaneously, with the same amount of devotion?
I had never thought of making a career out of acting. It was sheer chance that landed me here. I was a child artist at the age of 10 in All India Radio, Cuttack, and thereafter I kept doing theatre. I did my BCom from Utkal University and after a diploma in social science from Kolkata University, I joined the Odisha Labour Department in 1964. Four years later, I joined the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) as a labour officer. Simultaneously, I kept doing theatre and got my first film Tapasya in 1980 where I played the role of a villain. The same year I got another movie Ashanta Graha where I got a character role to play. I was 36 then. But I entered this industry for the first time in 1975 where I got to choreograph a song for the movie Mana Akasha by Nitai Palit in 1974. After my retirement from IDC as a deputy manager in 2000, I started doing both TV and films full time. From 1978 to 2000, I did a lot of films and had thought of making this a professional career only after my retirement.
You never did the role of a hero. Any specific reason and regrets?
No reason, regrets yes. In fact, I never got a chance to become a hero and I feel bad for that. In 1976, I got a film called Gapa Hela Bi Sata by Nageen Roy where I was offered the role of a hero. Actually the person who was finalised as the hero could not make it to the shooting and the director decided to take me in as a replacement. I did the movie for 15 days, but the actual hero decided to join the film again and I was asked to leave. But I believe everything has a purpose. Today, no one has done as many character roles as I have.
Of all the films you have worked in, which are the ones that made your work noticeable?
Phula Chandan by Mohammed Mohsin in 1987, where I did the role of a father. The film became a super hit and people started recognising me. Thereafter, film-makers approached me for character roles. Till 2000, if 10 films were released, I was in nine of them. From there on, senior actors of the industry started joining the bandwagon. My most memorable roles are in the movies Suna Chadhei in 1988 and Pua Mora Bhola Shankara in 1996. For Suna Chadhei I had received the Best Character Actor award.
Where do you think the Odia film-makers are taking the industry towards?
Today, Odia films are a copy of Telugu movies, shot-to-shot, scene-to-scene. They are Odia version of Telugu movies, but the film-makers are not even doing justice to these remakes. In Telugu industry, crores of rupees are spent to make movies and in our industry, the producers and directors wind up in a few lakhs. As a result, the quality is compromised upon. Besides, the Odia culture in movies is slowly getting lost. There was a time when people enjoyed Odia films with family. Today, you cannot sit with your children to watch these films because of the sleaze and violence in the content.
Any plans of donning the director’s hat?
I am keen but only if someone comes to me with a good story idea. In the last few years, I have said no to three producers who came to me for directing their films. All they did was gave me three CDs of Telugu films and asked to remake them. This is not acceptable to me. If ever I get to make a movie that will be entirely Odia in its soul and character.