Veteran Odia movie actor Jharana Das passed away at her residence in Cuttack at the age of 77. A winner of the state government’s prestigious Jaydev Puraskar for her lifetime contribution to the Odia film industry, she was suffering from an old age-related ailment.
President Droupadi Murmu, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan condoled her death. "Saddened to know about the demise of legendary Odia actress Jharana Das. She will always be remembered for her outstanding contribution to the Odia film industry. My deepest condolences to the family and her admirers," the president tweeted.
CM Patnaik announced that the last rites of Jharana will be performed with full state honours. "Her impactful performance on stage and in film will always be remembered. May her soul rest in peace and my condolence to the bereaved family," he said in a statement.
Born in 1945, Jharana started her acting career in the 1960s and won several accolades for her brilliant performance in landmark films like ‘Shree Jagannath’, ‘Nari’, ‘Adinamegha’, ‘Hisabnikas’, ‘Pujafula', ‘Amadabata', ‘Abhinetri’, ‘Malajanha’ and 'Heera Nella’.
Jharana earlier worked as a child artist and announcer with All India Radio (AIR), Cuttack, and as an assistant station director of Doordarshan in Cuttack. Many lauded her direction in the biographical documentary on former Odisha chief minister Harekrushna Mahtab. Jharana was also a trained classical dancer and was honoured with Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award for lifetime achievement in 2016.
