Veteran actor Uttam Mohanty, who had mainly worked in Odia Cinema, died in Delhi on Thursday. He was 66 years old. The legendary actor was admitted to Medanta Hospital and was being treated for liver cirrhosis.

The Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, called Mohanty’s death “irreparable loss to the Odia artistic community”. He also announced that Mohanty’s funeral would be performed with full state honors.

“Uttam Mohanty Odia was like a guide star in the film industry. For two decades, he remained a unique hero in Odia cinema. He was an icon in the Odia Art World. Through his acting in Odia, Bengali and even Hindi films, he brought the Odia film industry to new heights. His death is an irreparable loss for the Odia artistic community, “he wrote on X.

BJP national vice president and Kandrapara MP Bajayant Panda mourned the death of the legendary actor.

“The end of an era in the Odia film industry! I am very sad and heartbroken to hear about the demise of Uttam Mohanty, a lovely and famous actor who is known to every house in Odisha. Her invaluable contribution to the Odia film industry will always be remembered. Praying for the eternal peace of the departed soul, I express my deep condolences to the grieved family, ”Panda wrote on his X handle.

Uttam Mohanty acted in more than 130 films during his career, spreading over four decades. He started his acting career in 1977 with Sadhu Meher’s pride and starred in a hit like Danda Balunga and Kaiji’s loser.

The actor also appeared in about 30 Bengali films and was shown in the Hindi film Naya Zahar.

He was awarded the prestigious Jaydev Puruskar in 1999. In 2012, she received the Odisha Living Legend Award and won the Odisha State Film Award several times for her contribution to Odia cinema.