The mortal remains of Odia cine actor Pintu Nanda were consigned to flames at Swargadwar in Puri on Friday.
Nanda’s elder son, Sai Nanda lit the funeral pyre after the rituals concluded at Swargadwar.
Members of the Odia cinema industry and his fans bid Nanda a tearful adieu when his mortal remains were taken to Puri from his residence at Patia in Bhubaneswar.
The actor’s mortal remains arrived in Bhubaneswar on Thursday night, turning the atmosphere at the Biju Patnaik International Airport gloomy. Actors, actresses, his fans and followers turned up in large numbers to have a last glimpse of their favourite actor.
Nanda, who was suffering from liver cirrhosis, breathed his last after a 17-day-long battle for life. Initially, he was admitted to a Bhubaneswar-based private hospital. On February 7, he was flown to New Delhi and was admitted to the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).
A family member was supposed to donate liver to him. But that couldn’t materialise due to blood group mismatch among other reasons.
Then he was shifted to Hyderabad’s Yashoda Hospital where he finally breathed his last awaiting a donor.
Following his demise, the actor's brother Abhiram Nanda accused the State government of ignoring Pintu and not extending help for his treatment. He alleged, the government did not do anything while Pintu Nanda urged for help in treatment and demanded Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s resignation for the same.
Abhiram said, “At a time when the State government is blowing its trumpet on the 5T policy and spending crores of Rupees on artistes from outside the state to promote sports, an ailing artiste from Odisha could not be saved.”