RIP Prafulla Kar

 He was one of the last of the original, prominent male playback singers left in Odia music industry which has currently gone to the dogs mixed with Hindi and English lyrics (one person from that fading generation still alive is Pranab Patnaik). Others like Akshay Mohanty, Chitta Jena, Sikandar Alam have passed away to heavenly abode long ago. Today Prafulla Kar, the well known Odia singer passed away.

Those from the generation who grew up in Odisha in the 1970s and 80s still fondly remember him for his plethora of Jagannath JANANA (devotional songs) as well as LAGHU (light hearted) romantic songs and few funny numbers as well.

Sri Prafulla Kar use to write well also and wrote several columns in Odia. He is the father-in-law of my friend and classmate from REC (NIT Rourkela), Rajib Rath who lives in Cleveland, Ohio and visited USA on few occasions enthralling and entertaining his audience with his golden voice. He narrated the following funny episode in one the columns carried on a leading Odia Daily.

One fine morning during one of his trips to USA he was taking his usual morning walk in the community where his daughter and son-in-law live. He had drank a lot of water in empty stomach that morning and got an urge to relieve himself after walking some distance.

It was nature's call which could have happened to anyone. There was no public Restrooms (as toilets are called in India) nearby. He had no option but to empty his bladder surreptitiously at a wooded corner thinking no one was noticing the act. And so he thought. No sooner he zipped his pants and turned back he saw a police officer right behind him. He managed to convince the police who didn't press any charges and let him go. He narrated this incident in a funny and lucid way.

RIP Mr. Prafulla Kar. Whenever I remember the Odia Janana "MAHABAHU, AKHILA JAGATA NATHA.." I will remember you. My heartfelt condolences to Rajib and his family. Om Shanti.