Eminent singer of Odia and Bengali film industries Nirmala Mishra passed away in the wee hours of Sunday. She was 81.
Mishra died at her residence in Chetala in Kolkata. She was suffering from old age-related ailments and succumbed to a cardiac arrest.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep condolence over Mishra’s death.
Nirmala Mishra was a household name in Odisha for her classic songs. She had rendered her voice in a number of Odia films during the 1960s and 1970s. Some of those are ‘Nida Bhara Rati Madhu Jhara Jahna’, ‘Mo Mana Binara Tare’, ‘Jibana Jamunare Juara Uthere’, ‘Mayaghera Madhubane’ and ‘Ja Jare Bhasija Manapabana Nauka’.
Some more Odia film classics of Nirmala include ‘Mayabini Aie Rati’, ‘Chhada Chhada Mora Anchala’, ‘Hemaharini Mathara Mani’, ‘Paradesi Bandhu Tume Jiba Udiudiki’, ‘Dheudheuka Pahada Tale’ and ‘Mun Tumaku Bhalapae Luchiluchika’.
Nirmala worked with several renowned and contemporary Odia music directors like Balakrushna Dash, Akshaya Mohanty, Rakhal Mohanty and Shantanu Mohapatra. She rendered her voice in more than 20 Odia films.
A pall of gloom descended on the Odia film fraternity after the news of Nirmala’s demise spread.