Bhubaneswar: Noted Odia film producer Rabindra Mohan Sahoo breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday evening.
The 82-year-old was suffering from age-related ailments. He is survived by five sons, and a daughter. His daughter-in-law Sarita Sahoo is the chairperson of Kendrapada municipality.
Sahoo, who left an indelible mark on the Odia film industry, debuted as a producer with the 1987 film Ei Ta E Dunia. Over the years, he produced approximately 15 films, including Bastra Haran, Bohu Hebo Emiti, Pacheri Uthila Majhi Duaru, Naga Panchami, Mani Nageswari, Sasu Hathakadi Bhauja Bedi, Kulanandan, Rasik Nagara, and Aalo Mora Kandhei.
Beyond cinema, he was actively involved in public life. In the 1980s, he joined the BJP and contested unsuccessfully for the Kendrapada assembly seat. Earlier, in the 1970s, he served as a councillor of the Kendrapada Municipal Corporation. During the 1990s, he held the position of president of the Baladevjew temple managing committee.
Kendrapada MLA Ganeswar Behera, Rajnagar MLA Dhrub Sahoo, former minister Bijay Mohapatra and noted writer Dr Basudev Das have mourned his death. Fakir Charan Khatua, president of the Chasi Mulia Sangha and a close associate of the deceased, described him as a committed social worker and a filmmaker deeply passionate about producing high-quality cinema.
