Veteran Odia singer and celebrated playback artist Pranab Kishore Pattnaik passed away at the age of 88 at his residence in Bhubaneswar. His death has left the Odia music fraternity and music lovers across the state mourning the loss of one of its iconic voices.

Born on January 20, 1938, Pranab Pattnaik developed a passion for music from an early age. He began his musical journey as an accredited singer with All India Radio’s Cuttack station.

Pattnaik entered the Odia film industry as a playback singer with the 1958 film Maa. Over the course of his illustrious career, he lent his voice to more than 50 films and worked with several renowned music directors, including Balakrishna Das, Upendra Kumar, Akshaya Mohanty, Shantanu Mahapatra, Prafulla Kar, Bhubaneswar Mishra, Basudev Rath and Swarup Nayak.

His contribution to Odia cinema and music earned him several honours. He won the State Film Award multiple times in the Best Playback Singer category. He was also conferred the prestigious Jayadev Puraskar, the Odisha Government’s highest honour in the field of cinema.

Known for his distinctive voice and contribution to Odia playback music, Pattnaik remained an influential figure in the state’s musical landscape for decades.

His demise marks the end of an important chapter in the history of Odia music. Tributes are pouring in from across the state, with music lovers and members of the cultural fraternity remembering his remarkable contribution to Odia cinema and music.

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