Sarat Pujari (8 August 1934 – 12 May 2014) was an Indian

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

and producer in Odia film industry (

Ollywood Odia cinema, also known as Ollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema, dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Odia language widely spoken in the state of Odisha. Odia Cinema is based in Cuttack in Odisha, India. The name Olly ...

). He was originally from Jhaduapada, Sambalpur.

Early life and background

Sarat Pujari was born on 8 August 1934 at Khandapada,

Nayagarh district Nayagarh district is one of the 30 districts of Odisha state in eastern India. It was created on 01-April-1993 when the erstwhile Puri District was split into three distinct districts, namely Khordha, Nayagarh and Puri. The district is border ...

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

. His early education was completed in many schools all over

. He completed his post graduation in Economics and Diploma in Paintings in

Allahabad University The University of Allahabad is a Central University located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. It was established on 23 September 1887 by an act of Parliament and is recognised as an Institute of National Importance (INI). It is the 4th oldest mode ...

in 1956.

Career

After completing his education, he started his career as a block designer and publicity agent. In 1959, he joined as a lecturer in economics in Panchayat College, Bargarh which he quit in 1966. Then, he joined Tapang Light Foundry, Nayagarh as a Works Manager. For so many years he worked as the Principal of Larambha College, Larambha.

Film career

He started his career as an actor in the sixties. He left service and became a freelance film actor from September 1966 to September 1968 to learn the technique of film-making. After that, he was principal at the young age of 34 in Larambha College,

Bargarh Bargarh is one of the major towns of Western Odisha and a municipality in Bargarh district in the state of Odisha in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bargarh District and an important town of Odisha because it is known as the ...

. Pujari was nominated by the State Govt. of Odisha as member of the Orissa Sangeeta Natak Academy, Member of the Board of Director of Film Development Corporation of Odisha,

Cuttack Cuttack (, or officially Kataka in Odia language, Odia ), is the former capital, deputy capital and the 2nd largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is also the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised f ...

. He retired as a principal of Sangeet Nataka college,

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...

. Pujari became very interested in drama and other performing arts during his time as a student. At that time the Oriya film industry was not as developed as it is today, producing no more than one film each year. At that time he was offered a role in film Laxmi puja. At one point Pujari was the star of the Oriya film industry. He has acted in about 40 films, as well as some television serials. He has also directed a few Oriya films, including ''Tapoi'' and ''Ashanta Graha''. The

Government of Odisha The Government of Odisha and its Districts of Odisha, 30 districts consists of an executive branch, executive, led by the List of Governors of Odisha, Governor of Odisha, a judiciary, and a legislative branch. Like other states in India, the ...

conferred upon him the "Jayadev Award of 1985" for his significant contribution to Oriya Film Industry. He was also honored with first Hemant Das Kala Samman Award, Kadambini Samman Awards for 2010 & Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award for the year 2007. Now he occasionally acts in films and television

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

s. He also played a negative role in the International award-winning movie called '' Bhukha'' in (1989).

Personal life and death

On 12 May 2014, he suffered a cardiac arrest at around 12:30 AM and died at his house in

Bhubaneshwar Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra Khetra'' and ''Ekamra Khetra'' ( ...

. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons. His son Soumen Pujari is also an actor.

Filmography

*''Jiban Sathi'' (1963) – Sarat *''

Matira Manisha ''Matira Manisha'' (Man of the Soil) is a 1966 Odia film directed by Mrinal Sen. Based on the Kalindi Charan Panigrahi novel of the same name, the film contrasts traditional and modern values as exemplified by the different attitudes of two br ...

'' (1966) – Baraju *''

Kaa Kaa is a fictional character from ''The Jungle Book'' stories written by Rudyard Kipling. In the books and many of the screen adaptations, Kaa is an ally of protagonist Mowgli, acting as a friend and trusted mentor or father figure alongside Bag ...

'' (1966) *'' Arundhati'' (1967) – Manoj *'' Tapoi'' (1978) – Director *'' Ashanta Graha'' (1982) SARAT – Director *'' Astaraga'' (1982) – Director *'' Andha Diganta'' (1988) *'' Bhukha'' (1989) *'' Drusti'' (1990) *'' Aranya Rodan'' (1992) *''

Aranyaka The ''Aranyakas'' (; ; IAST: ') are a part of the ancient Indian Vedas concerned with the meaning of ritual sacrifice, composed in about 700 BC. They typically represent the later sections of the Vedas, and are one of many layers of Vedic text ...

'' – Raja Saheb *'' Shesha Drushti'' (1997) – Kedar Babu

Awards

* Orissa Cine Artist Association Award (2012) * Hemanta Das Kala Samman, 2011 "Jayadev Award"

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pujari, Sarat 1934 births 2014 deaths Indian male film actors Male actors in Odia cinema Male actors from Odisha People from Sambalpur University of Allahabad alumni 20th-century Indian male actors