Bhubaneswar: Noted Odia musician and Padma Shri Prafulla Kar passed away following a cardiac arrest at his Satya Nagar residence here Sunday night. He was 83.
His last rites will be performed at Swargadwar Monday, family sources said. Kar is survived by his wife Manorama Kar and children Mahaprasad Kar, Sandhyadipa Kar and Mahadeep Kar.
Born February 16, 1939, Kar was an Odia musician, singer, lyricist, writer and columnist. He had received Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in 2015 for his contribution to the field of arts. The Jaydev awardee was also honoured with the second Sikandar Alam Memorial Award by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in 2019.
Kar had scored music in over 70 films and lent his voice to hundreds of movie, radio and album songs. The maestro had also composed music for numerous Odissi dance dramas and ballets.
Known for his mellifluous voice, Kar has been a patron of Odisha’s rich cultural traditions and recorded Odia Bhagabat and Odia Chhanda, a rare collection of traditional Odia songs. He had become a household name in Odisha with his song ‘Kamala Desha Rajakumara’.
People from several walks of life thronged his residence to pay their last tributes while his demise was mourned by many eminent personalities of the state till the filing of this report.