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

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

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 The Odia film industry, colloquially known as Ollywood, is the Odia language Indian film industry, based in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack in Odisha, India. The name Ollywood is a portmanteau of the words Odia and Hollywood. Industry In 1974, th ...

). He was originally from Jhaduapada, Sambalpur.

Early life and background

Sarat Pujari was born on 8 August 1934 at

Khandapada Khandapada (also spelt as Khandapara) is a town and a notified area committee in Nayagarh district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the valley of nine mountains. Geography Khandapada is located at . It has an average elevation of ...

Nayagarh district Nayagarh district is one of the 30 districts of Odisha state in eastern India. It was created in 1st April 1993 when the erstwhile Puri District was split into three distinct districts, namely Khordha, Nayagarh and Puri. The district is bord ...

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

. His early education was completed in many schools all over

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

Allahabad University , mottoeng = "As Many Branches So Many Trees" , established = , type = Public , chancellor = Ashish Chauhan , vice_chancellor = Sangita Srivastava , head_label ...

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 a city and municipality in Bargarh district in the state of odisha in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bargarh District. Bargarh is popularly known for intensive cultivation of 'paddy', therefore called "Bhata Handi" o ...

. 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 is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' which literall ...

. He retired as a principal of Sangeet Nataka college,

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar is ...

. 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 Lakshmi Puja () is a Hindu occasion for the veneration of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and the supreme goddess of Vaishnavism. The occasion is celebrated on the amavasya (new moon day) in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Ashwa ...

. 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 the Indian state of Odisha and its 30 districts consists of an executive, led by the Governor of Odisha, a judiciary, and a legislative branch. Like other states in India, the head of state of Odisha is the Governor, appoi ...

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, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

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 largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango tr ...

. 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'' (1966) - Baraju *''

Kaa Kaa is a fictional character from ''The Jungle Book'' stories written by Rudyard Kipling. He is a giant snake who is 30 feet long. In the books and many of the screen adaptations, Kaa is an ally of main protagonist Mowgli, acting as a friend ...

'' (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 (; sa, आरण्यक; IAST: ' ) are the part of the ancient Indian Vedas concerned with the meaning of ritual sacrifice. They typically represent the later sections of the Vedas, and are one of many layers of the Vedic texts ...

'' - 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