Location: A packed house at Jaydev Bhawan, Bhubaneswar. The occasion: World Blood Donor’s day. On to the stage came singer Little Kar. Making a fervent appeal that touched the hearts of the people in the audience, she said, “Give me blood, and I will keep presenting you with good melodies until I am alive.”
Little and her voice have been surviving on the benevolence of blood donors. Donate blood and help her and many others who are thalassemic patients like her to enjoy the beauty of life, appealed the young artiste. Little has been suffering from thalassemia since she was three months old. She needs three transfusions a month for survival. Her words left many in the audience in tears.
Little is a complete artiste and a braveheart, says her father Chandrabhanu Kar. She not only sings well, she has acted in television serials and dramas and is also a good dancer despite leading a physically challenged life, he adds. The doting father of the 22-year-old is an actor, director, script writer and painter. He has directed many programmes for Doordarshan Kendra, Delhi and penned many interesting scripts. But he returned to Odisha to take care of his daughter about 15 years back.
“Little is like the ‘Mahaprasad’ of Lord Jagannath. We felt helpless when she was diagnosed with the disease. But gradually we came to terms and decided to raise her as a gift of God. She has achieved so much in such a small span and offered so much joy to others, we have no complaints. We are not sure for how long we will be together because tomorrow is unpredictable. But with her, life is a celebration for all of us,” says her mother Gitanjali Kar.
Little, a resident of Bhubaneswar, learnt Odissi music under the tutelage of Gurushree Nihar Ranjan Patnaik when she was six. While studying in Subhadra Mahtab Girls’ High School, she was drawn towards Odissi and learnt the dance from Kalindi Maharana. After passing Class X, she took admission in Rajadhani Kala Sansad to hone her skills in music instead of trying for a career in academics. She learnt Hindustani Vocal from Gurushri Karunakar Nayak.
In the meantime, she recorded songs for two albums Awara and Akhire Akhire Prema Hela, which were well received and made her one of the most sought-after singers in the circuit. She has also sung numerous bhajans, folk and other songs and got awards and citations from many established organisations across the state. In recognition of her mellifluous voice, she was made an empanelled singer of the state culture department in 2014.
Little won many hearts when she appeared as the protagonist in Maha Janjala, a mega serial of Doordarshan Kendra, Bhubaneswar. She has also acted in many theatrical productions, including Deha and Sabuja Samrajya, and earned the appreciation of viewers. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to act in serials and dramas due to her singing assignments, Little says.
A good dancer, Little has acted in many album songs. She enjoys singing Odia bhajans to spread the Jagannath culture. The songs sung by her and the albums in which she has acted are often telecast on Doordarshan, Colors Odia, Prarthana, Kalinga TV, Zee-Kalinga and other local private channels.
Bam Bam Bol Hara, Ram Bol Shyam Bol, Puriku Asa Asa and Kalia Saanta Ho Tate Juhar are some of the songs that have made her a household name in the state and popular on social media. Little motivates herself by remaining involved in many other things apart from singing, dancing and acting.
Little has a dream to work for fellow thalassemic sufferers. Keeping this in mind, she has formed a Trust in her father’s name to carry out work. This apart, she is an activist of Bhasa Andolan, a movement to protect Odia language and participates in their campaigns.
Thalassemia can be life threatening but Little is not scared of death. She says she is indebted to her parents for giving her such a beautiful life and teaching her to have a positive attitude.
“It makes no sense to live long and leave this world doing nothing for others. The length of life is not important for me, but the quality of life is. Life is always uncertain, and I have learnt from my dad that one must learn to live in moments rather than days,” says the singer.
Chandrabhanu adds, “Once you are born on this earth, you have to leave someday. But what is important is how well you spent your stay here. Not only me, my family also believes in this philosophy and is not very worried about the future. Because of Little’s health disorder, I have learnt that we should consider every moment of our life precious.”
Chandrabhanu, who says that Little’s life is an example for many, wants to document her life through a film in which she will star as herself. He has already drafted the script and hopes to direct it if he gets an opportunity.
Acknowledging the role of her parents, Little says, “It is true that I am suffering from a serious disorder. You can imagine how tough it has been for my parents to take care of me all these years. I believe I have inherited their courage and determination which will help me go places.”
BIJAY MANDAL, OP