If he were alive, the legendary Odia singer Akshaya Mohanty born this day in October, 1934, today he would be 90 year old today. Like Kishore Kumar, he was a virtuoso, a multifaceted artistic talent from Odisha. Though better known as a versatile singer, the lyricist in him penned many songs - from serious to romantic, from comic to tragic ones. The music all rounder in him arguably stood him above the rest of the contemporaries from his generation, which included a field of gifted artistic talents from the state of Odisha, the likes of Pranab Patnaik, Chitta Jena, Sikandar Alam, Prafulla Kar.
Khoka Bhai (he went by this alias), started singing in the 1950s and was at his peak during 1970s. During that time he made the cardinal mistake of quitting his cushy government job to fully focus on his musical career. Unfortunately for him, he belonged to a state better known as the graveyard of artistic pursuits.
The milieu those days when government was the main employment provider where Odias in general looked down upon and harbored anathema towards anything but secured SARAKARI (government) job. He could have rubbed Clarified Butter on his moustache (NISARE GHIA MARI) and worked nonchalantly in his job nonstop till he attained the age of 58, stil would have continued to sing untill his death, completely assured by the safety net of a "Sarkari" pensions. But he took a risk to follow his first love music and like most first loves in life it didn't materialize for him and remained stillborn, him paying a big price for quitting his government job.
Khoka bhai (his popular nickname) sang many Odia hits. His records sold well. He was hugely popular and immensely admired, yet his going professional in the field of music did not fetch him the remuneration to amply compensate for his ability. By mid 1980s he was not in good economic shape. Everyone admired his songs and music, but going pro didn't provide him a sustainable source of income. He took to alcohol and continued to abuse himself. My brother-in-law who interacted with him extensively during the maestro's trip to Chicago in June, 2001 often found him drunk, staggering and blabbering around. His reckless alcoholism probably cut short his life and career as he died a year later in the year 2002 at the age of 68.
After listening to Akshaya Mohanty's title song from movie "JAJABARA", Lata Mangeshkar suggested him to try his luck in Bollywood. But a laid back Akshaya Mohanty would never do that. He visited America multiple times and enthralled the NROs (Non Resident Odias) with his nostalgic songs. My memory goes back to the year 1979 when his trip to America was well covered in the local media in Odisha. Those days coming to America used to be a big deal. The legendary singer, post returning from his American trip quoted in the popular local Odia daily "SAMAJA" - "Even cats and dogs are better off in America than humans here in Odisha".
India has come a long way since 1979, now a 4 trillion dollar plus economy chugging ahead. Visiting America is no longer a big deal to get publicized in local newspapers. But those were the days. Soon came out a song composed and recorded by him based on his first hand American experience,
AMERICA RE PREMA HUE
BEECH ROAD UPARE,
AMA CUTTACK RE PREMA HUE
BHAI RIKSHAW PACHHARE.
Transliterated....
(Love in America
is a road side show,
In Cuttack love happens
behind Rickshaw).
The young generation in Odisha since have lifted their veil of shyness, enjoying their amorous aventures in middle of parks and pubs - even on BEECH (Middle of) roads as hand pulled Rickshaws have given way to their Autorickshaw cousins.
Saluting the Maestro and wishing him a Happy Birthday, let me end my ode to him with this funny number, penned by himself,
"PREMIKARA BARIADE BAIDHANKA
AU BICHHUATA BANA,
DEKHIBAKU MANA CHHANA CHHANA
KUNDAAI KUNDAAI GALA PRANA".
Roughly transliterated
"My beloved's home backyard
Has a jungle filled with Poison Ivy,
In the eagerness to watch her stealthily,
I had to scratch myself heavy."
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