BHUBANESWAR: Eminent Ollywood singer Tapu Mishra, who was under treatment for post-Covid complications at a private hospital here, passed away on Saturday. The young singer, who was on ventilator support for the past two days, breathed her last at around 11 pm. Tapu was admitted to a private Covid hospital on May 19, nine days after her father passed away due to Covid-19. She was in home isolation when her oxygen saturation level dropped to 45 and her family members admitted her to a Covid hospital.
Although she recovered from Covid, Tapu was shifted to another hospital for post-Covid complications and severe lung damage. While her family members had planned to shift her to Kolkata for ECMO, they could not do so as she was not responding to treatment.
Considered one of the most versatile singers in the industry, Tapu lent her voice to several Odia film songs and bhajans. Born and brought up in Sambalpur, she began singing at an early age and her oeuvre included semi-classical, romantic and even item songs. An alumni of Sambalpur University, she had also obtained a music degree from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya.
Starting her career in the industry with Himanshu Parija ‘Kula Nandan’ in 1995, she shot to limelight with her song ‘Na Re Na Bajana Bansi’ from the film ‘I Love You’. One of the most sought-after playback singers in the industry, Tapu had to her credit over 500 songs and won four State Film Awards. And not just Odia, she sang in Bengali, Hindi and other regional languages too. An independent artiste, she also released her albums on her YouTube channel.
A pall of gloom descended on the film industry following the singer’s demise. Members of the industry and people from different walks of life condoled her death. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said with Tapu Mishra’s death, Odisha has lost a talented singer. “I am saddened to hear the news of her death. She had become a household name because of her music within a very short span of time”, he said.
Kuna Tripathy, Odisha Film Development Corporation chairman and actor, said besides being a melodious singer, Tapu was a beautiful human being. “Her strength lay in her versatility and effortless singing”, he said.