Bhanumati Devi

Bhanumati Devi Biography

Bhanumati Devi was an Indian film and theater actress from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. She was a legendary actress associated with Odia film industry during the black and white era of 1950s and later, and has given life to numerous memorable lead roles on screen during her early days in cinema. She was also a very successful theatre personality who was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award from the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1985, for her contributions towards the field of theatre. She has been associated with Annapurna Theatre in Cuttack for more than forty years.

Bhanumati Devi was born in Burma on 15 May 1934, during British rule. Following World War II, just before Indian Independence, her family migrated to Puri, Odisha where they got settled. Bhanumati began her theater career in India, at the age of 7 in 1942. After that she spent 4 decades for Theatre. She started off with child roles and moved to adult roles later. She played both lead and supporting roles. Some of her noted performances as a stage actress include - Lakhye Hira and Napahu Rati Namaru Pati.

She marked her film debut with 1954 film, Amari Gann Jhia at the age of 19. She went on to become a prominent figure of Odia cinema. This versatile actress had an immense screen presence, and had a command on any character she played on screen. She also composed music and did playback singing for movies. She played lead roles, mostly in the 1950s and 1960s, and later moved to character roles. She played lead role in 1966 national award winning film, Matira Manisha. She passed away in Puri, Odisha, on 4 January 2013, at the age of 78. In 2005 she was honoured with Jaydev Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Odisha State Film Awards.

Published: September 14, 2018

Updated: September 14, 2018