Eminent Odia lyricist Nizam passed away at the Apollo Hospital here on Monday morning following a nephritic illness. He was 62.
The lyricist had been admitted to the private hospital a few days ago for dialysis.
Many eminent personalities rushed to the hospital to pay their last respects to the departed soul. Among others, music directors Prem Anand and Sanjay Nayak, Odia cine actor Arindam Roy and eminent singer Pranab Patnaik expressed their deep grief over the demise of Nizam.
“It is a huge loss for Odisha and a personal loss to me. I was closely associated with him and have spent many memorable days with him,” said Pranab Patnaik.
Nizam, who had started his career in 1977 with ‘Anutap’ has penned timeless songs like ‘Hrudaya ra aei sunyata’ and ‘Mu je eka pagala bhanra’ besides many melodious album songs to be remembers for years to come. Nizam was diagnosed with chronic renal failure (CRF) in 2009. later, he underwent a kidney transplant in Hyderabad.
Burial rites to his body were performed at Daragha Bazar in Cuttack on Monday afternoon, sources said. Before his body was taken to Cuttack, chaos had prevailed at the hospital as Apollo authorities reportedly refused to release the body over payment of bills.
However, after the chief minister’s intervention, the hospital authority handed over the body to his family members. This was informed by Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Panda who went to the hospital to pay last respects to the lyricist.
But Apollo Hospital’s general manager Dr Hirendra Nath refuted the charge saying, “Delay in handing over the body of Nizam is not because of any fault on our part. After a written undertaking to pay the due amount was submitted, we handed over the body.”