**Bhubaneswar:** Veteran Odia cine actress, producer and director Parbati Ghosh passed away. She breathed her last after pro-longed illness in a private hospital here on Sunday late night. She was 85.
The body has been kept in mortuary as her son and daughter, who stay in the US, will be arriving soon. Her brother and noted music director Swarup Nayak, producer Bapu Lenka and several Ollywood actors reached the hospital to pay their last respects to the departed soul.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik condoIed, “I am deeply shocked at the passing away of veteran film personality Parvati Ghosh. She was an icon and one of the greatest gifts to Odia cinema industry”.
“She was an Actor, Director and Producer at the same time. In the early days of Odia cinema, she single handedly uplifted Odia cinema to a new height. She was really a symbol of women empowerment when ideas like empowerment was unheard of. Her departure is a great loss to our industry and the world of silver screen. She will always be remembered for her contribution to Odia cinema.
May her soul rest in peace”, he added.
The Chief Minister has also announced according a state funeral to Mrs Ghosh.
Later the CM also paid his homage to the Odia cine veteran at KIIMS Hospital here in the capital city.
A national award winning actress, Ghosh, who was ailing for some time and complained of uneasiness, was being rushed to a city based private hospital at around 12.30 am Sunday night when she breathed her last on way.
Titled as the epitome of Odia Cinema, she was a dedicated and highly-creative filmmaker of the State. Long before Sai Paranjpe, Kalpana Lajml and Aparna Sen, Parbati Ghosh had started her own film concern, acted and produced her own films, establishing herself as a pioneer woman director in the country. Other awards conferred on her include Jayadev Puraskar and Bioscope Award.
Ghosh, born on March 28, 1933, made her debut as a child artist in, Sri Jagannath in 1950. In 1953, she came to mainstream Odia filmdom as an actress essaying the lead role opposite Gour Ghosh in Amari Gaan Jhua followed by Bhai Bhai (1956), Maa (1959), Laxmi (1962), Kaa (1965), Stree (1968) and Sansara (1971). Laxmi, Kaa and Stree won national awards as a best regional category.
Parbati made her debut as a director in Chha Mana Aatha Guntha (1986) based on the famous novel of Fakir Mohan Senapati.