Eminent Odia filmmaker Prafulla Mohanty - a pioneer of parallel cinema - died on Saturday after battling prolonged illness here. He was 58 and is survived by wife and a son.
A resident of Balasore, Mohanty after completing graduation from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, joined the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He also worked with Doordarshan for more than 23 years.
Mohanty carved a niche for himself in the world of Odia parallel cinema. Mohanty’s ‘Bhanga Silat’ had got Manjula Kuanr the best supporting actress award at the national level for realistic portrayal of an exploited illiterate woman who lives like a hunted animal, trapped into accepting her ultimate fate. Later, he gave a cinematic shape to Godabarish Mohapatra’s story ‘Maguni Ra Sagada’. With the passing of time and progress in civilisation, how Sagada (bullock cart) becomes a useless product, is the theme of the film. Produced by National Film Development Corporation, ‘Maguni Ra Sagada’ was widely appreciated.
In 2001, it was declared the best regional film and in 2002, it was showcased at the Indian Panorama section of the India International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Some of his other works for Ollywood are ‘Devaki’, ‘Tathapi’ and ‘Paunji’. As a filmmaker, he was also involved in pre and post-production works of a film starting from scripting stories to producing them. He always tried to bring in a new wave in Odia cinema. Members of the film fraternity have mourned his death.