Shyamhari Chakra
He literally lived his name – Bijay (victory).
With a career spanning over half a century with countless films, plays and television serials, the actor conquered the hearts of his audience across generations. Times changed and along with it changed the trends in cinema and the taste of the audience. But, the appeal and demand of Bijay Mohanty did never change in Ollywood – like Amitabh Bachchan in Bollywood. He was the winner for ever.
It was the culturally vibrant town of Baripada – where he grew up till he joined the prestigious National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi – that shaped the sensibilities of the actor who was destined to be a legend later on. Even as a school boy, he frequently watched films that ingrained in him the love for acting. However, it was the ‘best actor’ award that he received during the first year in his college for his performance in the annual college drama that invoked in him a serious interest in acting.
Jugechha Natya Sanstha, a theatre group, was born in Baripada with Bijay as its founder member. The group produced plays at regular intervals, participated in state and national level drama festivals and won accolades. It was during one of the productions that Prasanna Mohanty, who hailed from Baripada but was a senior student at the NSD then, spotted out Bijay’s natural talent. He paved the young aspiring actor’s way to join the premiere Indian institute for drama.
It was a prolonged struggle for the innocent Baripada boy, who was making out a living as a clerk in a government office during the day while continuing his college studies and theatre activities during the evening to get into NSD, win national scholarship, rub shoulders with the stalwarts-in-the-making like Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah who became his great friends later on.
Upon completion of their studies at the NSD, the trio (Puri-Shah-Bijay) planned to try their luck in Mumbai, the epicentre of Indian cinema and theatre of that era. But, Bijay failed to join them in Mumbai for several personal problems that he faced in his hometown. The big dream – that the great talent duly deserved – died down.
However, Bijay’s loss was Odisha’s gain. The world of Odia cinema and theatre could get back its phenomenal talent who was destined to serve his own culture than his own career and future.
He was invited to have his debut in Odia film Sankalp, opposite talented actress Tripura Mishra, that was being directed by Prafulla Mohanty. But, for reasons yet to be known, the fate of the film was sealed after 12 days of shooting. Disappointed, as Bijay was about to be back to his hometown, he got the offer to join the department of drama at Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, State’s premiere college of performing arts in Bhubaneswar as a faculty member from where he retired as the principal.
His base in Bhubaneswar brought him stability in his career as an actor. The big and most deserving break came through eminent filmmaker Biplab Roy Choudhury’s critically acclaimed Chilika Tire (On the shores of Chilika) in 1977 followed by Nagafasa from Ollywood’s movie-moghul Basant Nayak’s Brajaraj Movies. And there was no looking back in his filmography of above 180 films.
Jayadev Puraskar, State’s highest honour for contribution to Odia cinema speaks volumes of the veteran’s achievements who has been six-times best actor award winner of the State Film Awards. As a dramatist, he has also been the winner of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi Award, another feather in his colourful cap as an immensely gifted artiste.
One word would be enough to describe Bijay Mohanty’s acting prowess – versatile. He could get under the skin of any character with effortless ease. And that made him the indispensable and unparalleled. His acting has created a benchmark for the Odia entertainment industry that will continue to excite, inspire and challenge generations of aspiring actors.
Did the colossus actor have any regrets? “I never dreamt to be a star. I only wished to be a good actor. Therefore, I loved enacting all kinds of characters. I did not like to create a definite image as an actor.
I have tasted enough of success and popularity as an actor but less self-satisfaction. I wished our filmmaking culture to be richer in order to explore talents of actors like me.
However, I have no regrets. I loved Odisha and Odisha loved me. I would love to be born again and again here as an Odia actor,” the star-actor had stated.
True to his sentiments, Bijay Mohanty loved to breathe his last in his beloved land of Odisha. The septuagenarian, who was critically ill in Hyderabad, took 22 hours of arduous travel by an ambulance to be in Bhubaneswar.
As his mortal remains were consigned to flames in Bhubaneswar today with State honours, Bijay Mohanty reminded us that great people don’t die. They just disappear from this world. But, they live on, for ever, in the hearts of the people. As long as Odia cinema would exist, the legend and legacy namely Bijay Mohanty can’t die.
