Popular Odia actor Minaketan Das passes away at 56 due to pancreatic cancer

The Odisha film industry was taken to a sudden gloom with the news of demise of the popular actor Minaketan Das on 30 June. [caption id=“attachment_3764511” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Odia actor Minaketan Das. Image via Facebook[/caption] The 56-year-old actor was battling pancreatic cancer for quite a while. He was admitted in Asian Cancer Institute in Mumbai. He died in at his residence on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, reports Odisha Sun Times. As soon the news of his death broke out, all his well wishers shared their condolences on social media. According to a report by Odishatv.in, actor-producer Pradyumna Lenka said, “He was very cordial to everyone in the industry. He has ruled the hearts of cine lovers in Odisha for decades with his tremendous acting skill.  He was known for his portrayal of negative characters in theatre, movie and television screen. I lost a personal friend today.” The Odisha government also expressed its grief at Das’ death calling it a huge loss. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took to Twitter and said:

Saddened to learn of the demise of actor Minaketan Das. It is a great loss for Odia film industry. My thoughts & prayers with his family

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) July 1, 2017

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also tweeted saying:

Heartfelt condolences to friends & family of Ollywood 'bad man' Minaketan Das an actor who won many hearts but lost his fight against cancer

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) July 1, 2017

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The actor had been a recipient of many state-level awards and accolades throughout his career. He was celebrated as the ‘bad man’ of the Odia films and thus established a niche space for his film career. He has acted in over two-dozen film and many TV shows, reports The Times of India. Minaketan was initially admitted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar after he complained of a body pain. Later, after being diagnosed with cancer, he had to be shifted to Mumbai.