Actor Sadhu Meher of Ankur fame passes away at 84

Renowned actor Sadhu Meher, whose touching portrayal of a hearing and speech impaired potter in Shyam Benegal's Ankur (1974) earned him the national award for best actor, passed away at his Mumbai residence on Friday. He was 84.

He had also acted with directors Mrinal Sen (Bhuvan Shome, Mrigaya) and Tapan Sinha (Safed Haathi).

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik mourned Meher's demise and said he has left a mark with his flawless performances in Hindi and Odia films. "Meher was first Odia actor to be honoured with national film award. His departure is an irreparable loss to the art world," he said.

Meher was born on January 1, 1940 in Gudbhelipadar village in Boudh district. Some of his other notable Hindi films include '27 Down', 'Nishant,' and 'Inkaar.' He also acted in the popular detective series Byomkesh Bakshi, which was directed by Basu Chatterjee and shown on DD.

Meher was known to depict elements of Odia culture and lifestyle in vivid and minute detail. The actor was conferred with Padma Shri in 2017 and Jayadev Samman, the highest film award by Odisha government in 2011. He is survived by wife Shanti Devi and daughter.


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