Noted Odia Play Director Fakir Charan Patnaik Passes Away

Nayagarh: Noted teacher, play director and writer Fakir Charan Patnaik passed away on Friday at the age of 92 at his residence near Dakhina Kali temple in Nayagarh. He was suffering from age related ailments.

Fakir Charan Patnaik was famous in Nayagarh as well as in the state as an ideal teacher. He was teaching English and Literature. His students said that but for Patnaik’s unique initiative, many changes were not possible in the teaching process.

He was born in 1928 at Puruna Sahara in Nayagarh district and started his career as a teacher in 1950. He taught in many schools of Odisha including Nayagarh Itamati School, Koraput High School, Khandapada High School, Jatani High School and Dasapalla High School etc.

Patnaik retired from Bajendra High School in Nayagarh as headmaster in 1986. He also acted in many plays like Bhata, Mulia, Jahara, Ghara Sansara and Pahili Raja through the organisation ‘Yuva Natya Sangha’ in Nayagarh. Once he had told a vernacular newspaper that he was satisfied after acting in the play ‘Mulia’.

Among the many plays that Patnaik had directed was Bijaya Mishra’s play ‘Janani’.

His contribution to Odia literature was also significant. He wrote many poems and articles both in Odia and English and was also editor of the magazine ‘Jyoshna’. He also used to write a regular column in a newspaper on how to eradicate sound pollution.

Patnaik is survived by four daughters and one son. His last rites were conducted at Swargadwar in Puri on Friday.