Ollywood Actresses Who Came, Conquered And Left…
JYOTI MISHRA
She started her career with Doordarshan in 1996. She was studying in Standard 9th during those days. Although she had not planned to pursue a career in glamour world, the way the industry accepted her and the positive response she received from the audience forced her to continue. She went on to work in around 22 Odia films and 15 films in other regional languages. She also did a lot of albums.
Recalling her journey, Mishra tells us, “I always had a presentable personality. So, one of my relatives gave me an offer to host a show as an anchor in Doordarshan. I was an English medium student so it was obviously not an easy task for me. But when the show was telecast, it got great response from the audience and I got a series of offers! That’s how my journey began. Then I started modelling, not to make a career in glamour world but to manage my pocket money. Besides, it was not time consuming so it did not hamper my studies. And, I was enjoying it too.
Stating that she was always very particular about her education, Mishra adds, “Initially, I denied all offers for academic reasons. But I love to take challenges in life and so I signed Sabyasachi Mohapatra’s ‘Bou’ as a challenge. I never looked back since then. I did Basant Nayak’s ‘Mana rahigala tumari thare’ which was a woman oriented movie and turned out to be a super hit! Thereafter I fell in love with films. I also started getting offers from other regional industries including Chhattisgarh, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi. I have done around 12 movies in other languages and also played the role of Goddess Laxmi in the film Jai Jagannath which earned me a lot of appreciation. I also did some super hit albums and worked for a couple of art films.”
In 2006, Mishra did her last film, ‘Tu Eka Ama Sahabharasa’. “Thereafter, I had to be attentive towards my family. In 2000, I got married to my boyfriend Budha Ghosh and then I was blessed with a baby boy. I had to take care of my baby so I decided to take a break from my career.” she informs.
AMELI PANDA
This Bengali beauty took the Odia album industry by storm in 2000. However, having worked for ten years in hundreds of albums and also a few films, which were widely appreciated, she did a vanishing act.
“I was never too interested to lead a celebrity life; I always believed in a systematic and simple life. But my mother wanted me to opt for the glamour world. She was a great singer but after marriage, she could not pursue her dreams and so she wanted me to carve a niche for myself in the industry. Initially, my father was not very supportive. One fine day, my uncle, who was the owner of Subhadra studio, requested me and my sister to do a photo shoot for his shop. We did it and then the offers started flowing. My first offer was to play the character of ‘Seeta’ in Ramcharitramanas which I denied. Then, Ashok Satpathy convinced me to shoot for a song for his album, which he said would not be telecast on television. So, I did it! But after shooting, I got lots of appreciation from my friends and relatives who encouraged me to do more such projects. That’s how it all began,” recalls Ameli.
On being asked why she took a break from a blooming career, she tells us, “As I have mentioned before, I always wanted a simple life. I gave 11 years to the industry. In 2010, I got married and that was when I took a break. Apart from family, there were other issues too. I was not comfortable wearing skimpy outfits and rejected many offers for that reason. Yes, I want to come back to the industry but only if I get work which I can relate with.” she informs.
KAJOL MSHRA
Although her entry was marked by a short telefilm on Doordarshan, Kajol Mishra went ahead to work in many serials, albums, films and documentaries. Due to her good work, she ruled the industry for over ten years and was also able to win the hearts of many. But then she took a break much to the disappointment of her fans.
Kajol recalls, “My profession will always be my first love. But after I got married, things changed. Although I could have continued working since my husband was very cooperative and I still had many offers in hand, I went the motherhood way in 2013. I decided to be a full-time mother. But now I am willing to make a comeback and do some good work.”
During her heyday as an actress, Kajol did a number of serials, about nine films and over 200 album songs. “From the beginning, I was very much inclined towards the glamour world but my parents were against it. When I got my first offer, I was in intermediate. I remember I really had to put in lots of efforts to convince my parents and finally when they gave me a green signal, I felt as my dream had just come true!” says Kajol. Although currently all her time goes for her husband Dushmant Panda and daughter Aiswariya, Kajol is trying to make a comeback soon.
DEEPA SAHOO
Yet another actress who started her career from the album industry, Deepa Sahoo was the preferred choice for many film and serial makers when she quit the glamour world.
Talking about the ‘break’ in her career, she tells us, “I am the eldest daughter at home and very much attached to my family. There was a period I was so busy with my work that I was npt being able to devote time to my family. Suddenly, one fine day, my mother was detected with cancer. That incident affected my career completely as I had to take care of my old parents. I could not manage time for work even though I had the best of offers with me. Eventually, I lost my mother too.”
Recalling her peak career days, she says, “From my childhood, I was interested in acting but never got a chance. Once in my dance class, Shakti Mishra noticed me and asked me for two of my photographs. Then suddenly I got an offer for an album named ‘Made in Odisha’. That was the turning point in my life. The song was a super duper hit and overnight, I became a star and was heartily accepted by the audience.”
Thereafter, Deepa was a part of many hit albums before bagging a role in Sanjaya Nayak’s film ‘Nari Akhire Niana’. “I had just entered the world of films when my mother fell ill and I was completely depressed. Her death was a huge loss to me. Then in 2007, I got married and in some time was blessed with a baby girl. Though I wanted to do good work but there was a huge gap! Currently, I am busy with my family and daughter though I am ready to make a comeback if a good offer comes my way,” she signs off.
