Veteran Ollywood actress Jharana Das passed away at her residence at Chandi Road in Cuttack late Thursday night. She was 82. According to sources, Das had been suffering from old age ailments for quite long. She will continue to live on in hearts of her fans for her films like Amadabata, Malajanha, Nari, Sri Jagannath, Adina Megha, Abhinetri and more. She had also acted in many plays, TV shows and serials.
Born in the pre-independence era in 1945, she started her acting career as a child artiste with All India Radio, Cuttack. Her fans still remember her sweet voice and her portrayal of different characters. After her stint with AIR, Jharana Das continued to entertain her fans through performances on the silver screen. She was awarded with prestigious Jayadev Puraskar by the State government for her lifetime contribution to the Odia film industry in 1997. She also learnt Odissi dance. She had the opportunity to learn the classical dance form under the tutelage of legend Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. She was also honoured with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award for lifetime achievement in 2016.
As the sad news broke, noted actors and her fans thronged her residence to pay their last respects. Cine critic Dilip Hali termed her passing away as a great loss to the Odia cine industry.
Secretary of Odisha Cine Artistes’ Association, Sritam Das remembered the actress as a down-to-earth and very amiable person. “I can remember her saying she started acting when there were restrictions for women to act in plays and films. Despite the hurdles, she took her career to a great height. Her demise is a big loss for us.”
“Decision regarding her last rites will be taken after the arrival of her younger son. Her last rites will be conducted at Gorakabar in Cuttack,” Das said.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan condoled the demise of actress Das.