Bhubaneswar: Veteran Odia playback singer Pranab Patnaik, whose distinctive voice remained a defining presence in Odisha’s film and music industry for more than five decades, died in Bhubaneswar on Friday at the age of 88. Patnaik fell ill suddenly and was admitted to a private hospital, where he passed away, family sources said. He is survived by his wife, Kasturi Patnaik, and two sons.
Born on January 20, 1938, Patnaik came from a family with a strong public background. His father, Lal Mohan Patnaik, was a former Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Patnaik received formal training in music under renowned guru Kunal Adinarayan, which laid the foundation for his long and distinguished musical career.
He made his playback singing debut in 1958 with the Odia film Maa and went on to lend his voice to more than 200 Odia films. Over the decades, his voice became closely associated with some of the most memorable songs in Odia cinema and popular music.
Among his widely remembered songs are “Majhi Re”, “Mun Keun Sahare”, “Tuma Gaon Mahumachhi”, “Chala Ame Palaijiba Sahar”, “Prema Tini Jati” and “Smruti Tor Phere”. His repertoire extended well beyond film music, encompassing Odissi, folk, devotional and bhajan music, semi-classical compositions, traditional songs, Hindi geet and ghazals.
Patnaik also maintained a close association with All India Radio, helping take his music to audiences across Odisha. His career brought him into collaboration with several celebrated musicians and composers, including Akshaya Mohanty, Shantanu Mahapatra, Balakrishna Das and Prafulla Kar.
His versatility also enabled him to collaborate with prominent national singers. He sang duets with artistes such as Vani Jairam, Hemlata, Usha Mangeshkar, Bhupinder Singh, S. Janaki, P. Susheela, Nirmal Mishra and Haimanti Shukla.
Patnaik’s contribution to music was recognised with several prestigious honours, including the Jayadev Puraskar, Balakrishna Das Memorial Award (2023), Gangadhar Rath Memorial Award (2017), Prafulla Kar Award (2011), Big Odia Entertainment Award (2010) and the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1997-98.
Following news of his death, tributes poured in from across Odisha. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, BJD president Naveen Patnaik and several other eminent personalities expressed grief over the demise of the veteran singer and remembered his contribution to Odia music and culture.
With Patnaik’s passing, Odisha has lost one of its most enduring musical voices. From his debut in Maa in 1958 to a career spanning hundreds of songs, his work became part of the cultural memory of generations of Odias. His recordings, however, will continue to keep that remarkable voice alive.
