A popular Odisha Jatra actress is now vending fruits on the streets of Bhubaneswar thanks to the ban on mass cultural events, including opera shows, in the Covid-19 situation.
Pratibha Maharana, better known to her audience as ‘Rinky’, is running a fruit shop at Tata Ariana Square in Kalinga Nagar here to eke out a living for herself and family after seeking financial help from her former employer to set up the shop.
Hailing from Haldipadia in Rajsunakhala of Khordha district, Rinky is currently residing in Kalinga Nagar with her parents and is the only breadwinner in her family after her father lost his finger in an accident and mother suffered paralysis. Her elder sister, who earlier ran the family, is now married.
Rinky had started her career as an Odia album artist and worked with popular actors like Sabyasachi before switching to acting in Jatras. She joined the Rangamahal troupe and carved a place for herself in no time with the roles she played.
Actor Sabyasachi has helped Rinky’s family with two months’ groceries and some financial assistance for her mother’s treatment.
Rinky said her family does not even have a ration card. When she approached a local leader regarding this, she was asked to wait till the pandemic is over. So, she had to resort to fruits vending to get through the pandemic situation.