Noted Odia film director Nirad Mohapatra passes away

Bhubaneswar: Eminent Odia filmmaker and director Nirad Mohapatra died today at a private hospital in Mumbai, family sources said.

He was 67 and survived by wife, a daughter and two sons.

Mohapatra, who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mumbai since the last month, had undergone surgery twice and breathed his last this morning, they said.

An alumni of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Mohapatra was a multi-faceted personality. He had also taught in the institute from where he did a course in direction, sources said.

Mohapatra shot into international fame with his first feature film in Odia - ?Maya Miriga? in 1984 which won Rajat Kamal at the National Film Awards. The film also won a special jury award at Hawaii Film Festival, US and 'Critics Week' of Cannes in France.

It was also adjudged the Best Third World Film at International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg, sources said.

He never made another feature film, but a number of extraordinary documentaries were made by him. Several of his documentaries had bagged awards.

Besides being member of national film jury and selection panel for Indian Panorama several times, Mohapatra took active part in the activities of FTII encouraging and grooming many talents in film making.