BHUBANESWAR: The last rites of versatile actor Bijay Mohanty was performed at Satya Nagar crematorium here on Tuesday. As per the direction of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the legendary actor was accorded with full State honours by police personnel. Several persons from Ollywood fraternity attended the ceremony held at Utkal Sangeet Natak Mahavidyala. Later, he was cremated at Satya Nagar.
Around 11 am, the body was brought to his apartment in Rasulgarh. Friends and relatives thronged his apartment before proceeding for the guard of honour ceremony and funeral.Prominent Ollywood actors like Uttam Mohanty, Sabyasachi Mishra, Manoj Mishra and veteran actor Prasanta Nanda were present at the Mahavidyala premises, among others.
Prior to guard of honour, fans who gathered at the institution chanted ‘Bijay Amar Rahe’ while a ‘kirtan’ was also performed to seek peace for the departed soul.People from Odia theatre industry were also present. The actor, who died at the age of 70, had taught drama at the Mahavidyala before joining Ollywood in 1977. He was an alumnus of National School of Drama, New Delhi.
His death came as a shock to his friends. “I can’t believe that he is no more. It is his credit if I have achieved anything in life as a director or actor,” said Manoj Pattanaik, famed theatre actor and director, who runs Manan Natya Sangastha.
Mohanty was a great Odia dramatist too. “He had composed the play, Amari Bhagaban. It was staged by our group and appreciated worldwide,” Pattanaik added.
Actor Siddhant Mohapatra described his death as a ‘personal loss.’ For Sabyasachi Mishra, Mohanty was like a father-figure. “I have played the role of his son in most of the films. In real life also, I loved him like a son. He was not just a legendary actor but also a great human being,” he added.
His alma mater, NSD, mourned the actor’s death on social media. The institute shared a picture of its 1973 alumnus in a tweet along with a message for his soul to rest in peace. Meanwhile, social media was flooded with his pictures posted by fans from across the globe.