Oriya film actor Hemanta Das dead

Bhubaneswar, April 27 (IANS) Veteran actor Hemanta Das, popularly known as the Ashok Kumar of Oriya cinema, died Tuesday, family friends said. He was 76.

Das had lost his wife and son long ago. The death took place in Khamaranga, his village in the district of Cuttack, some 30 km from here.

Das had acted in more than 40 Oriya movies.

Some of the films he featured in include 'Sesa Srabana', 'Jajabara', 'Chilika Tire', 'Nirab Jhada', 'Danda Balunga' and 'Hakima Babu'. He also played a role in Hindi film 'Shodh' that won a national award in 1979.

'His death is a great loss to the Oriya film industry,' film critic Dilip Hali told IANS.