Bhubaneswar: Guitarist and music arranger Debanshu Rath, popularly known as Kabuli, passed away in Chennai late on Saturday. He was 62.
His sudden demise has left the music world, particularly in Odisha in deep mourning.
According to family sources, Debanshu was conducting an online guitar class from his home in Chennai the previous evening when he suddenly experienced severe chest pain. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he breathed his last around 11 pm.
His wife Sujata Mishra, daughter Saloni (a vocalist), and his only son Jagannath were present by his side.
In his career spanning nearly four decades, Debanshu contributed to iconic soundtracks across multiple film industries, starting from A R Rahman’s celebrated Hindi film ‘Roja’ to Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Rockstar’. His distinctive style left an indelible mark on compositions by legends like A R Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja, as well as in Bollywood, Tollywood, Kollywood, Mollywood, and Ollywood (Odia cinema).
In Odia films, he worked as a background music director and arranger in over 80 movies. He collaborated closely with prominent music directors such as Akshay Mohanty and Prafulla Kar.
He was the nephew of Prafulla Kar, the legendary Odia singer, music director, lyricist, and writer who revolutionised Odia music over six decades.
