Shantanu Mahapatra - The Emotive Maestro

Such is the birth of a genius! From a sprawling cultural village Deulsahi in Baripada, Odisha, of Mayurbhanj District, Shantanu Mahapatra first breathed on the crisp January 6th in 1936. Indeed, everything has a beginning, in the erstwhile region of Mayurbhanj, Odisha. Ab initio (from the beginning), destiny hummed. Being the eldest of ten children in the house of Ramesh Chandra Mahapatra and Saudamini Devi, lovingly called 'Babuanna', young Shantanu did not just breathe air but the air itself was filled with music!

Baripada, in those revered days, was throbbing as the crucible of creativity. It was only there -- in the presence of the famous Kala Parishad and especially of the motherly guardian Suresh Chandra Mishra(a great savior of music and dance) -- where it would seem there was fertile soil as a little mulberry tree, folding his first tender leaves in view of one of the uncle.

Thus commenced his formal odyssey -- into the sacred realm of swara and tala. Guided by the venerable hand of Sangeet Narayan Banchanidhi Panda, a guru whose wisdom seemed etched by time itself, young Babuanna embarked upon his rigorous training. Under this sacred tutelage, he made his way into the labyrinthine depths of Dhrupad, Khyal's knotty and musical strands, the imaginative Bhajan, the concise Champu and its characteristic pathos, and he became drenched in the unique life essence of Odissi music. Cherished in this bailiwick is the more strenuous conditioning -- indispensable and proven -- providing the foundational bedrock upon which all things genius ascended; Forming in him, as his assistant, both a consummate performer and even a composer, yet one of great, hitherto untried vigor.

Ah, but the spark! Even as a child, walking between the shades of innocence, his prodigious talent was undeniable; any light was still sparkled brighter. The voice -- so chaste, uncompromising, and formless -- had just become his all-defining instrument. Between 1944-49 -- just a sprig in the garden of music -- he had succeeded in doing what bewildered even the old hands: for years on end he was crowned Best Singer at the intensely contested musical competitions of the Nikhil Utkal Sangeet Samaj in the venerable Shriramchandra Bhavan at Cuttack.

Thus, the scene was set. The celestial jest -- gifting a choreographer of tones -- was met with calm but deep resistance. For Shantanu Mahapatra, the child wonder of Deulsahi, was already becoming Odisha's alchemist.

He listened not just to the wind, but to the very soul of his land, preparing to transmute humble folk whispers into golden ragas, and the primal thunder of Chhau into melodies destined to echo through eternity. The opus [work] of a lifetime had found its first, resonant notes.

Exordium  -- every great tale should have one! Is not it? So with Shri Shantanu Mahapatra as our protagonist, we shall endeavor to present the dramatic circumstances surrounding his life. Holy names! Young fervor, fresh from Baripada, steps into the steel and heat chamber called Kolkata. Sir Ashutosh College, where he did his Intermediate in Science (1952), was never a mere temple of learning but a place where he blossomed. The city, a mixture of art and academics, was his muse. Being the Cultural Secretary, he managed college programs as deftly as an established composer, thereby displaying but a shadow of the glory yet to come.

The backdrop to his life was no mere scenery; for him, it was the alma mater (nourishing mother). It was the land where destiny with the legendary Salil Chowdhury came to his aid as his guru, instilling in him the spirit of Lokgeet, Baul, Shyama Sangeet, and Rabindra Sangeet. The mellifluous Hemant Kumar Mukherjee too graced this pathway, deepening his pockets of musical erudition (knowledge). Baripadarendered a seed, but Kolkata was truly the land that nurtured the tree.

Yet, the polymath in him could not be confined. While at IIT Kharagpur for Geology and Geophysics, his artistry bloomed just about there along with the academics. He acted in Bengali and Hindi dramas, conducted orchestras superbly, and even led the football team with aplomb! -- A closer inspection would testify to a multifaceted personality.

Post hoc (after this), the Government of Odisha's Mines & Geology Department claimed him as a geologist, and there he rose to the position of Director, sine dubio (without any doubts). The siren song of music was never extinguished. It was a parallel odyssey that ran up his veins like a second heartbeat.

Returning to Odisha was a renascent (rebirth) moment. Cuttack Akashvani became the studio where he painted tunes for Anjali, Sajfula, and Ramamanjari. More collaborations began to prosper with lyricist Gurukrushna Goswami, the unique mellow voice of Atish Mazumdar, tabla maestro Janaki Aditya, and the unforgettable Akshaya Mohanty.

Then came 1955 -- the year of Konark Gatha. This modern folk narrative, sung by Mohanty, transcended the mere act of singing and became an outright cultural magnum opus (masterpiece). Subsequently, he gifted to the world Manini Radhika, the first rendition of Gita Govinda from Odisha, and the timeless Kālijāi, eternally held in memory by Mohammad Sikandar Alam.

Thus unfolded the symphony of his life -- each note deliberate, each composition a legacy. For in music, as in life, he was not just a composer. He was a raconteur (storyteller) of the soul.

Shri Shantanu Mahapatra's advent into the realm of cinema was nothing short of mirabile dictu (wonderful to relate), heralding a golden epoch in Odia film history. His very first official foray into the arena of musical direction -- his haunting melodies in "Suryamukhi" under Soumendra Mishra's banner in 1963 -- was a masterstroke; not really for its novelty, but for the solemn grandeur with which he engaged the celestial voices of Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey-- a coup hitherto never quite achieved by any other regional film industry. Refining into an altogether alien freshness, the tunes softly echoed the birth of a totally unknown horizon for music.

The year 1967 bore witness to yet another tour de force (masterpiece) -- Arundhati, where Shantanu Babu, with sublimis (lofty) artistry, once again wove magic through the golden throats of Lata and Mohammad Rafi. Odia cinema could never be the same again after the haunting rendition of "Mayuri Go Tum Akashe Mu" and the gentle weeping of "Tumaku Paruni Ta Bhuli" became beyond mere melody; they became the anima (soul) for an entire populace.

His oeuvre expanded like a kaleidoscopium (kaleidoscope) of emotions -- each film a new canvas, each composition a stroke of genius. With a polymathic ability, he drifted genres with ease -- from Unigunarea, where misty Chilika shores kissed the earth, to fiery trials in Agni Pariksha; to lyrical romance in Priyatama and the wrathful folklore in Jagabalia. Be it inspiring patriotic strains or classical ragas coming alive on celluloid, Shantanu Babu remained Odia cinema's musical auteur.

Yet, his genius was not circumscribed (limited) by linguistic borders. Therefore, he must have gone outside the realm of Odia films and worked for Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, and Telugu cinemas, a pioneering effort that crowned him as the first Odia maestro to conquer five Indian languages. His music has become a vinculum, under whose sheaf sundry cultures stand together through the universal language of melody.

In a career spanning decades, Shri Mahapatra orchestrated over 1,600 songs -- each a gemma (jewel) in the crown of Indian music. Whether it be in telefilms or jatra theatre, his compositions came resounding with both the depths of classical rigor and the heights of daring innovation. His legacy is an ever-living one -- a timeless symphony reverberating through endless spaces and across generations.

While Shri Shantanu Mahapatra's cinematic compositions left an ineffabile (indescribable) imprint upon the soul of Odia music; his artistry soared far beyond the flickering frames of cinema. He was a prima facie polymath of sound able to weave melodies not only for entertainment but as mediums -- from one culture to another, one discipline to another, or even to humanity itself.

Among his most audacious (bold) experiments was the alchemy of Mayurbhanj Chhau with Manipuri Thang-Ta -- a fusion where the thunderous grace of Odisha'smartial dance met the rhythmic fury of the Northeast's martial art. Such an experiment was not a mere side-by-side placement but a harmonious marriage of traditions, thereby defying the reimagining of India's folkloric tapestry. Through this, Mahapatra proved that music could provide spectacular eye candy or extraordinary pleasure to the ear and soul.

His tenure with Delhi Doordarshan bore testament to his patriotic fervor -- his award-winning choir composition was not just a triumph for Odisha, but a resplendent (brilliant) ode to the nation. Each note carried the weight of history, each harmony a whisper of unity, stirring in listeners that rarest of emotions: pride, pure and undiluted.

Yet, Shri Mahapatra's genius was not confined to grandeur. It also shone for the gentlest causes -- rights for children with disabilities under UNICEF. Here the music served as a comfort -- a melodious plea: each chord a call for empathy, and each lyric a reminder for dignity.

And then, there was the devotional Mahapatra -- the seeker who would make Odia and Punjabi swim in his Kabir-Nanak bhajans and fused Achyutananda's mysticism with Jagannath's devotion in a seamless synthesis (blending) of tongues and faiths. These were not just simple songs; they were transcendent tunes where spirituality waltzed for unity.

In every note beyond cinema, Shri Shantanu Mahapatra proved that music was more than art--it was alchemy (transformative power). A force that could innovate, include, and illuminate. His legacy? A reminder that true melody does not simply please the ear--it touches the soul.

In tempore (in time), when melody transcends the mundane and rhythm whispers to the soul, accolades fade into insignificance. The world, however, unabashed in its pursuit to honor genius, tried to capture some shining glitter of Shri Mahapatra's artistry through trophies and positions of honor -- these are just faint shadows of the symphony that he lived through.

The Lalit Kala Akademi Award (2004), sine qua non (indispensable) in the realm of arts, crowned him not for mere notes strung together, but for the celestial ragas that seemed to descend upon Odisha through his fingertips. Prior to this, though, the Odisha Film Critics Award (1995) had already paid obeisance to his mastery, certifying the alchemy by which he turned celluloid into fountain of emotions.

But Shri Mahapatra was no mere virtuoso (master musician) -- his harmonies were those of humanity. Mother Teresa Millennium Award (2005) recognized the truth -- honor not just the composer but the compassionate sage utilizing music as a balm for hurting souls. His art was not meant for concert halls; it spilled out into the streets, into the realm of the unseen and unheard.

The Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award (2015) arrived as an homage (tribute) to his devotion -- not merely to music, but to the very soil of Odisha's cultural soul. He was no transient artist; he was the keeper of traditions, caught somewhere between the ancient shastras and their contemporary expressions.

From the pages of Chhayaa Chitra (1981)  to the echoes of Sura Sudarshan (1979), from the sanctified halls of Srikshetra Kala Prakashika(Puri, 1979) to the bustling lanes of Chalachitra Jagat (Cuttack, 1978), his name was etched in reverence. Even his early work in Chitrapuri (1969) was but a prelude to the magnum opus his life would become.

Then came the crescendo -- the Lifetime Achievement Award from OSA (2011)  and the D.Litt (honorary) from Utkal University of Culture, which went into eternity rather than into gold. However, the crowning glory was probably the Golden Lotus Award for Sodh (1979), where his music made the leap beyond language: the award stands as testimony to genius.

Sed tempus fugit (but time flies)! And an award, though glittering, is but a fleeting sound. Shri Shantanu Mahapatra's legacy is truly measured not in trophies but rather in the silent tears that his music still evokes, in the way the breeze carries his tunes over the rivers and lakes of Odisha, and in the hearts that flutter a little brighter with his music. For when music speaks, awards are but a formality -- the soul remembers what the world can only attempt to honor.

In tempore fugit (as time flees), the maestro took his final bow on the thirtieth of December, two thousand and twenty, yet his symphony lingers -- ethereal, undimmed by the passage of years. At eighty-four, Shri Shantanu Mahapatra, that colossus of Odia music, departed this mortal realm, but not before gifting the world a legacy so vast, so immortalis (immortal), that it transcends the very confines of time. More than a composer, he was a custos culturae (guardian of culture), a sage whose melodies wove the soul of Odisha into every note, whose humility and wit were as enchanting as his ragas.

A son of Mayurbhanj in animo et corde (in mind and heart), he once whispered a wish as tender as the dawn:
"In my next life, I wish to be born in Mayurbhanj again. And when I die, I want to rest my head on a harmonium, humming a tune till my last breath."

Such was his love -- pure, unyielding, perennis (everlasting)! And so, as Mayurbhanj and all of Odisha honor him, they do not merely mourn a musician; they celebrate a spirit who lived his art, who breathed poetry into sound, who sang not for glory, but for the soil and souls of his people.

Even now, his music lingers -- in the rustling sal forests, in the murmuring rivers, in the laughter of children who hum his tunes unknowingly. It is the eternal vox of Odisha itself -- timeless, unbroken, and forever echoing in the heartbeats of the land he loved.

• Personal Information
  • Full Name: Shantanu Mahapatra
  • Also Known As: Babuanna
  • Date of Birth: January 6, 1936
  • Date of Death: December 30, 2020
  • Age at Death: 84 years
  • Birthplace: Deulsahi, Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Odisha
  • Residence: Palaspalli, Bhubaneswar
  • Parents:
    • Father: Ramesh Chandra Mahapatra
    • Mother: Saudamini Devi
  • Spouse: Shikharani Devi

• Profession(s):
  • Geologist (Director, Odisha Mines & Geology Department)
  • Music Director, Composer
• Education:
  • Matriculation: Baripada
  • Intermediate in Science: Sir Ashutosh College, Kolkata (1952)
  • B.Sc. (Geology & Geophysics): IIT Kharagpur
  • Musical Training:
    • Initial Guru: Sangeet Narayan Banchanidhi Panda
    • Genres: Dhrupad, Khyal, Bhajan, Champu, Odissi
    • Mentor in Kolkata: Salil Chowdhury
    • Learned: Lokgeet, Baul, Shyama Sangeet, Rabindra Sangeet
    • Associations: Hemant Kumar Mukherjee

• Musical Milestones:
  • Started composing for radio programs: Anjali, Sajfula, Ramamanjari (Cuttack Akashvani)
  • Breakthrough: "Konark Gatha" (1955)
  • First Gitagovinda adaptation: "Manini Radhika"
  • Popular Composition: "Kalijai" (sung by Mohammad Sikandar Alam)
• Film Music Career:
  • Notable Films:
    • Suryamukhi (1963)
    • Arundhati (1967)
    • Chilika Tire
    • Priyatama
    • Agni Pariksha
    • Meghamukti
    • Jiban Sangram
    • Dora
    • Jagabalia
    • Golamgiri
    • Pathara Khasuchi Bada Deulu
    • Mukti Tirtha
    • Ranabhumi
    • Tume Hi Sathi Mora
  • Languages Worked In:
    • Odia
    • Hindi
    • Bengali
    • Assamese
    • Telugu
  • Total Compositions: Over 1600 songs (film, telefilm, documentary, jatra)
  • Notable Songs:
    • Film Songs :
      • "Aaji Mun Shrabani Luhara Harini Jeun Rajani" (from "Arundhati," sung by Lata Mangeshkar) - This is one of his most iconic and beloved compositions.
      • "Mayurigo Tama Akash Mun" (from "Arundhati," sung by Mohammed Rafi)
      • "Tumaku Paruni Ta Bhuli" (from "Arundhati," sung by Mohammed Rafi)
      • "Ei Chhota Kathatie Bhulo Na" (from "Arundhati," sung by Usha Mangeshkar and Pranab Kishore Patnaik)
      • "Sulsulia Chulbulia" (from "Chilika Teerey," sung by Nirmala Mishra, Basanta Das)
      • "Jaa Jaarey Bhaasi Jaa" (from "Chilika Teerey," sung by Nirmala Mishra)
      • "Abhimani Bandhure" (from "Agni Parikshya")
      • "Sei Chuna Chuna Tara Phula Aaji" (from "Suryamukhi")
      • "Duniare Samayara Nai Bahijae" - Manna Dey
      • "Antare Kaande Baahare Hase" (from "Suryamukhi")
    • Non-Film Songs :
      • "Konaraka Gatha" (considered the first modern Odia ballad, sung by Akshaya Mohanty)
      • "NUPUR BAJAI KIYE" (sung by Suramani Raghunath Panigrahi)
      • "Mote Jebe Ati Eka" (sung by Pranab Pattnaik)
      • "Naanti Heba" (sung by Pranab Pattnaik)
      • "Ke Saradin Amar Katha Bhabe" (sung by Nirmal Mishra)
      • "Mu Eka Chhana Chhana Prajapati" (sung by Arati Basu)
      • "Nila Sagare Jiba Vasi" (sung by Arati Basu)
      • "Barasaka Pare Aasichhi Raja"
      • Instrumental pieces from his album "Folkloriya Instrumental" such as "Sabari Chale Lo Dhire Dhire," "Ghoda Naacha," "Rasarkeli," "Paani Maarigala Jhain," and "Jhiliki Jhipa."
    • Renowned Playback Singers worked under his direction:
      • Lata Mangeshkar
      • Manna Dey
      • Mohammad Rafi
      • Suresh Wadkar
      • Anuradha Paudwal
      • Kavita Krishnamurthy
      • Mohammad Sikandar Alam
      • Nirmala Mishra
      • Sarupa Chakrabarty
      • Indrani Mishra
  • Notable Works Beyond Cinema:
    • Fusion of Mayurbhanj Chhau and Manipuri Thang-Ta
    • Patriotic choir for Delhi Doordarshan (Academy Award-winning)
    • Compositions for UNICEF on child disability rights
    • Devotional Compositions:
      • Kabir & Nanak Bhajans (Odia-Punjabi)
      • Achyutananda & Jagannath Bhajans (Odia-Hindi)
  • Leadership Roles:
    • Chairman - Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi
    • President - Bhubaneswar Kalakendra
    • Secretary - Bhubaneswar Music Circle
  • Major Awards & Honours:
    • Lalit Kala Akademi Award (2004)
    • Odisha Film Critics Award (1995)
    • Mother Teresa Millennium Award (2005)
    • Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award (2015)
    • Chhayaa Chitra Film Journal Award (1981)
    • Sura Sudarshan - Srikshetra Kala Prakashika, Puri (1979)
    • Chalachitra Jagat Award (1978)
    • Chitrapuri Award (1969)
    • OSA Lifetime Achievement Award (2011)
    • Honorary D.Litt - Utkal University of Culture (2011)
    • Golden Lotus Award - Hindi Film 'Sodh' (1979)