Sarat Pujari

Data of Birth: 8th Augst 1934

Sarat Pujari is one of the noted actors of oriya film industry. He pioneered the oriya cinema in the early sixties.

He started his career as an actor in the sixties. He left service and became a free-lance film actor from September 1966 to September 1968 to learn the technique of Film-making. After that he was principal at the young age of 34 in Larambha College, Bargarh. Pujari was nominated by the State Govt of Orissa as member of the Orissa Sangeeta Natak Academy, Member of the Board of Director of Film Development Corporation of Orissa, Cuttack. He retired as a principal of Sangeet Nataka college, Bhubaneswar.

Pujari became very interested in drama and other performing arts during his time as a student. At that time the Oriya film industry was not as developed as it is today, producing no more than one film each year. At that time he was offered a role in film Laxmi puja. After that there was no looking back. At one point Pujari was the star of the Oriya film industry. He has acted in about 40 films, as well as some television serials. He has also directed few Oriya films, including Tapoi and Ashanta graha.

The Government of Orissa conferred upon him the "Jayadev Award of 1985" for his significant contribution to Oriya Film Industry. He was also honored with first Hemant Das Kala Samman Award, Kadambini Samman Awards for 2010 & Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award for the year 2007. Now he occasionally acts in films and television soap operas. He also played a negative role in the International award winning movie called Bhukha in (1989).