Eminent Odia theatre writer and director Satchi Das passed away

Jajpur: 18/4/24:Eminent Odia theatre writer, director, and cine actor Sachi Das passed away today following a prolonged illness. He was 91.

According to sources, Dr Sachi Das breathed his last at around 9.30 am on Thursday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Cuttack.

The final rites will be held at his ancestral village in Bari, family sources said. Eminent film personalities, actors, and other artists paid their last respects to the departed soul.

Dr. Satchi Das is an eminent actor-director and well-established theatre personality in Odisha. Born to the famous social activist, Bhagirathi Das, and women’s leader and freedom fighter, Priyambada Devi in Jajpur, Odisha in 1937, Satchi Das began his tryst with theatre at a very young age. His passion for theatre did not bind him to academics at school and he began his acting career with his first performance in the play, Tipachinha at his village theatre.

In 1958, he joined the ‘Janta Rangamanch theatre as an actor; after this, there was no looking back as his illustrious career unfolded. When he was a student at Ravenshaw Collegiate School and later Ravenshaw College in Cuttack, Dr. Das trained in classical singing and Tabla briefly under the tutelage of the late Guru Shyamasundar Dhir, further expanding his versatility.

Over the decades, he not only established himself as a proficient actor but also as a sensitive director. He has directed over 500 plays and written and directed over 400 Jatras, plays, and films, all of which have garnered critical acclaim in Odisha and across India. He is also the founder of a theatre organization, Ebam Ame.

As assistant director of movies such as Tapoi, Megha Mukti, Mukta, Agni Parikshaand Ae Nuhen Kahani, Dr. Das established himself as a leading force in the field of dramatics. He is known for his creativity and innovative style in his plays, which touch the hearts of audiences and capture the attention of critics and viewers alike. He has been conferred with numerous prestigious awards and accolades for his immense contribution to the field of theatre and dramatics. Dr. Satchi Das was the recipient of the Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Puraskar, the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi’s highest honour, for his lifetime contribution to theatre in 2015 and  Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award for his immense contribution to the field of Theatre for the year 2018.