Accident crushes dreams of 2 actors

Kendrapada: Manorama Patra, 24, of Bebhogchatara village in Jagatsinghpur town was deeply affected during her growing up years by her parent's constant struggle to bring up their three sons and a daughter.
Determined to provide a better life to her parents, Manorama made her acting debut at 16 by joining a jatra troupe. She acted as a lead female protagonist in many jatras since then.Her passion for acting drove her to join Bharati Gananatya of Bagarh.
But her life turned upside down on Sunday evening. A bus carrying 38 artistes of a jatra troupe to Sohela in Bargarh district went off a hilly road and plunged into a 300 feet gorge in Tilebani Gayala ghat, killing 27 people, including Manorama. A pall of gloom descended over Bebhogchatara on Tuesday. Sricharana Patra, the 62-year old father of Manorama, sat frozen in shock. "Manorama had called up her father two days ago and promised to come home after a couple of weeks," said Manorama's younger brother, Kanhu Patra. Many villagers from Bebhogchatara and the surrounding villages had been gathering at Patra's house from Monday morning on learning about the tragedy.
Manorama's mother, Nirmala, was inconsolable. "I never thought I would ever have to come across such a tragedy," said a sobbing Nirmala.
Stony silence also reigned in the coastal village of Okilapala under Rajnagar block of Kendrapada district on Tuesday after villagers came to know about the death of Yashoda Saunt, 27. Sahadev mourned the death of daughter. After an eventful stint of nearly 10 years in various jatra troupes Yashoda was looking forward to a role in a TV serial so that she could fulfil her dream. The dream died with her on Sunday. She is survived by her husband.
Noted jatra scriptwriter, director and the president of All Odisha Jatra Artistes Association, Ananta Ojha, on Tuesday said, "I was shocked and saddened that many artistes, including Yasoda and Manorama, died in that accident. Both were very talented and shared strong bond with us."