Manoranjan Das


Manoranjan Das was an influential Indian dramatist, and pioneer of modernism in Odia Literature. He was known for his experimentalism and deep socio-political awareness, who became most known in the 1960s with his experimental theatre.
Amongst his most known work are, Kathagodha and Aranya Fasal, which won him the Sahitya Akademi Award. In a career spanning over four decades, his plays include Janmamati written in 1943 and his latest Nandika Kesari which appeared in 1985.

Early life and education

Born in 1923 in a village near Cuttack, he did his schooling in Kunjang near Paradip, completing his intermediate in 1942. Thereafter he joined Ravenshaw College in Cuttack.

Career

He joined All India Radio where he rose to the level of Producer Emeritus. During his literary career, he has written 14 other plays, including Aranya Fasal, which won him the Sahitya Akademi Award given Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in 1971, and the Padma Shri by Government of India in 2004.
His other plays are Jauban, August Na, Baxi Jagabandhu, Agami, Abarodha, Kathagodha, and Sabdalipi.

Works