Actor, Heartthrob, Superstar…

Actor, Heartthrob, Superstar…

As a young man, he made his way into a million hearts singing the iconic “Bhasaa megha bhasi jae duure…” in Abhiman, his debut film, in 1977. In an age when brooding and introvert male leads held sway in Odia films, his sparkling smile and a glint in the eyes came as a breath of fresh air. He was boyish, charming and brought a fresh perspective to romanticism in Odia films.

Be it ‘Jhiati Sita Pari’, ‘Danda Balunga, Suna Chadhei’ or hundreds of other Odia movies that he has acted in, Uttam Mohanty with his vibrant charm tinged by subtle melancholy never failed to create magic on the silver screen. A gem of Ollywood, he will remain a cherished star for generations of Odia cine lovers.

The unbeatable superstar of the 80s, he has over 200 movies to his credit, that includes 40 Bengali films and one Hindi film too. Excerpts from the conversation.

Did you always dream of becoming an actor?

I never dreamt of becoming an actor. The opportunity just came by when some producers, directors and music directors living near my home in Baripada approached me to do a film. I had come home for my holidays. With not even a tad bit of knowledge about acting, I kept refusing their offer. So, they asked me to meet Sadhu Meher. That caught my interest, and I was keen to meet him as he had recently won the National Award for his movie ‘Ankur’ then. We had a meeting and he took some photographs of mine and told me that I will be doing the movie. I asked for some time to reply. Since my father and elder brother were living outside Odisha, I convinced my sisters to take permission from my mother. At first, my mother did not agree to it at all but gave in, when I said that I will complete the movie within the one month of my holidays. The filmmakers also agreed and we completed the movie within 35 days.

It was my first film ‘Abhiman’, and I was only 22-years-old. There was no looking back after that!

If not an actor, what other profession would you have chosen?

In those days, I was preparing for Chartered Accountancy in Ludhiana. I guess, if I had not become an actor, I would have become a chartered accountant. 

Do you carry any memorable moment from your journey as an actor?

I was living in Cuttack earlier. There was a Bengali couple from Kolkata, settled in Cuttack, who had watched my film ‘Bhakta Salabega’. The man came up to me and complimented me on having played the character of Salabega brilliantly, that too at such a young age! I was touched to receive such a response from a Bengali man for an Odia movie. That instance will forever remain memorable in my life.

Having acted in many Odia and Bengali movies, you have gathered a steady pool of fans. Did you ever face any crazy fandom, a phenomenon quite common these days?

Our generation was different. Let alone mobile phones or computers, we didn’t even have television during those days. People were not as smart as they are today. The society was far more conservative then to have fans express their frenzy as they do today. So, I have never faced any situation like that. Although there were a few occasions, it was nothing compared to the fan following that celebrities enjoy these days.

Being an actor catapults you to a celebrity from a common man. How did that change your life?

I know it’s hard but I have consciously tried not to be affected by stardom. Though it might sound unbelievable to you, I was rarely aware of being a celebrity. I always felt myself to be as any other common man. Even today, whenever in Baripada, you can find me chatting with friends, standing on the roadside near the ‘khalli patra dukaan’!
What is your take on the recent trend of remaking other regional movies into Odia films?

Remake isn’t a bad thing. Even Hollywood and Bollywood do remakes of other films. The trick of making a successful remake lies in how the makers present it before the audience. But if the content and presentation is lifted completely without any changes to suit the context, it is bound to fail.

How has Ollywood changed over the years?

I have seen a lot of changes through my long journey in Ollywood. Earlier, the conditions we worked in, I would say, were almost torturous. We didn’t have cranes to use, shot under the scorching sun using reflectors that reflected sunlight directly on to our faces. Now, with the changing times and technology, we can get good output even when shooting in low light.Another significant problem was the use of reel, which does not exist anymore.

Financially too, it was very difficult to survive depending on an income from actingalone. Since my wife and I were both actors, we somehow managed. Nowadays, a hero gets aroundRs. 10 to 15 lakh per movie. But in those days, the entire budget of the movie used to be that.

Tell us about your love story with your wife Aparajita.

Our love story may not sound too interesting to today’s youngsters. I met Tiki (Aparajita Mohanty) in 1982 when we acted together in a movie for the first time.The movie was ‘Astaraga’. It was while we were dubbing for the movie ‘Abhilash’ that I proposed to her and approached her for marriage. She suggested that I ask her mother about it. So, after her mother responded positively to my proposal, we got married. That’s all I have to my love story!

What you feel is the main reason behind the decline of Odia cinema?

As more and more non-professional artists, with no knowledge offilmmakingentered the industry, the movies lost their magic and began to fail.

Why don’t we get to see you more on the screen now?

There was a time when I used to shoot for three movies simultaneously. My only condition used to be that I can’t give more than six hours per movie in a day. These days, since I am busy with my gas agency, I am unable to sign more films. I recently completed shooting for a movie. I hope that will be released in near future.

You are an active member of BJD and your wife recently joined BJP. How do you both manage it at home being members of opposing parties?

I have joined the party not to stand in elections but to serve people. Those already in power have done nothing for the industry. There’s a lot of noise and very little work being done. My reason for entering politics is to be able to do some good work. As far as us joining rival parties in concerned, my wife and I do not discuss politics at home.