Legendary Actor, Director Hara Patnaik dies at 56

The legend of Odia Cinema, Hara Patnaik, who is an household name in Odisha, died at the age of 56. The entire Ollywood industry as well as people of Odisha plunged into deep mourning and grief at the sudden demise of the great actor.

He suffered from Cancer a few years ago, but recovered from that and resumed his film career. He again fell ill six month ago. He was admitted to Sparsh Hospital in Bhubaneswar in a critical condition and succumbed to his illness this afternoon.

Apart from acting as a villain in most Odia movies, he was also a great director of Odia Cinema. Hara Patnaik was treated as an elder brother to the film fraternity. Born on 12th October, 1958 at Cuttack, he started his film career with ‘Sahari Bagha’ in 1985. There was no looking back after that. His top movies included ‘Jor Jaar Mulak Tar’, ‘Suna Chadehi’, ‘Chaka Akhi Sabu Dekhuchhi’, ‘Jahaku Rakhibe Ananta’, ‘Daiba Daudi’, ‘Ganga Jamuna’, ‘Stree’ etc.

He made his directorial debut in ‘Daiba Daudi’ in 1990. He directed 19 movies, which included ‘Kapala Likhana’, ‘Bhagya Hate Dori’ ‘Paradesi Babu’ etc. He had launched Sabyasachi Mohapatra (Pagala Premi), Anubhav Mohanty (I Love You) and Babushan Mohanty (Romeo:The lover boy).

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, PCC President Prasad Harichandan, BJP’s Odisha Unit President KV Singhdeo, Tourism Minister Ashok Panda, BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram and many other politicians, film personalities and intellectuals have condoled the demise of Hara Patnaik.