Parbati Ghose, first female filmmaker of Odisha passes away

Parbati Ghose, the first female filmmaker of Odisha passed away on February 11, 2018 following a prolonged illness in Bhubaneswar. She was 85.

Ghose was declared dead when she was rushed to the hospital around midnight after complaining of uneasiness.

About Parbati Ghose

• Born in Cuttack district in 1933, Parbati started working as a child artist in All India Radio.

• Her first role on the silver screen was also as a child artist, playing the role of Nila Madhava in Shri Jagannath (1949).

• Four years later, in 1953, she got a big break as the female lead in Amari Gaan Jhua.

• Her performance as the female protagonist in Goura Prasad Ghose’s Bhai Bhai, one of the biggest Odia hits in 1956, gave her recognition as a leading actor in the industry.

• After tasting huge success on the big screen, she turned to filmmaking.

• She along with her husband Goura Prasad Ghose directed the film ‘Sansara’ in 1973.

• By the mid-1980s, she had already won three national awards.

The state government of Odisha announced a state funeral for the late film personality. The Chief Minister of the state, Naveen Patnaik, expressed his shock at her passing and said that she was an icon and one of the greatest gifts to Odia cinema industry.

He added saying that in the early days of Odia cinema, Ghose played a significant role in uplifting it to a new level. He stated that she was really a symbol of women’s empowerment when an idea like empowerment was not heard about.