Bhubaneswar: Odia film actor Sarat Pujari died at his rented house here early Monday, his family said. He was 80.
"He suffered a massive cardiac arrest at about 12.30 a.m.," his son Soumen Pujari, who is also an actor said.
Sarat is survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons. His last rites would be performed at the temple town of Puri, about 55 km from Bhubaneswar, later in the day.
He entered the Odia film industry in 1958 while serving as a teacher in a private college in western Odisha. He acted in about 50 films.
Some of the famous Odia films in which Pujari acted as a hero include ‘Tapoi’, ‘Asanta Graha’, ‘Astaraga’ and ‘Sadhana’.
Although these films were not commercially successful, they dwelt on the plight of farmers and reflected Odisha's culture and traditions.
Sarat retired as principal of state-run Sangeta Natak Mahavidyalaya in Bhubaneswar in 1994.
His last film 'Pooja Pain Phulatie' was released in 2007. It had bagged National Award for best feature film in Odia.
Besides films, he was closely associated with social work.
"His death has created a void in both film industry and social sector which cannot be filled up," said Ranjan Mohanty, secretary of People's Cultural Centre, an NGO.
He was active until his death.
"On Sunday itself, he went to witness a drama in Rabindra Mandap, a city hall," Mohanty said.
Sarat was very clear about the projects he wanted to do.
In an interview in 2007, Sarat said: "I never act in a film if I don't like the story. That is why I never acted in many films even though I was offered a role."
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.