Sambalpur: Veteran Sambalpuri actor Atal Bihari Panda passed away while undergoing treatment at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla in wee hours of Saturday. He was 92.
Panda was undergoing treatment for septicemia. He breathed his last around 3:45 am Saturday, his son Arun Panda said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condoled the death of the actor. In an Odia tweet, he said, he was saddened to know about the death of actor and playwright Atal Bihari Panda. “He will be remembered forever for brilliant acting in films like ‘Sala Budha’ and ‘Aadim Vichar’. His demise is an irreparable loss for the Odisha art world,” Naveen said while offering condolences to the bereaved family.
Panda, a native of Binika in Subarnapur district, made his debut in film industry at the age of 83, which is quite unusual for an actor. The film was ‘Sala Budha’, directed by Sabyasachi Mohapatra in 2013. A born actor as he was, his acting prowess in the film fetched him the Odisha State Film Award for Best Actor. Mohapatra repeated him in ‘Aadim Vichar’ in 2014, which was a sequel to ‘Sala Budha’. For this film, he was again awarded the Odisha State Film Award for Best Actor. Mohapatra again repeated Panda in ‘Sala Budhar Badla’, the third movie in ‘Sala Budha’ series.
Prior to his debut as an actor in film, he had acted in around 100 plays and written over 65 dramas, both in Odia and Koshali language.
PNN