Unlikely Inheritance: How Akshaya Mohanty gave Odia it's Ghazal Voice

When one opens the door to modern Odia ghazal, they invariably finds Akshaya Mohanty standing at its threshold; untrained, audacious, and determined to turn his musical exile into an enduring tradition. In a state where classical Odissi and folk music defined legitimacy, he entered through the backdoor of All India Radio in 1956, first as a lyricist, later as a composer and singer. His lack of formal training was never a handicap; instead, it freed him from rigid structures and allowed him to reimagine how Odia could carry the weight of poetic longing.

Before Mohanty, Odia ghazals were rare and scattered, often imitations of Urdu with little rootedness in the language. He gave the form a vocabulary that spoke directly to Odia sensibilities while preserving the romance and ache that defined the ghazal. Critics and contemporaries agree there was no real tradition before him; it was his pen, his voice, and his melodic instincts that turned borrowed cadences into something distinctly Odia.

Drawing inspiration from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam while anchoring his lyrics in the lived ethos of Cuttack, he made verses that could belong both to the concert hall and to the common street. Works like Punyara Nadi Tire and Kalankita Ei Nayaka embodied that tension.

Many of his ghazals never found commercial release, surviving instead in private gatherings and personal recordings, which only deepened the sense of myth around him. That aura of mystery has lasted, sustaining his reputation not just as a performer but as a creator of a hidden archive that still resurfaces in fragments to astonish younger generations.

Mohanty’s career spanned 75 films, 129 playback songs, modern ballads, bhajans, and literary works ranging from novels to autobiographies. He became a cultural institution in Odisha, a figure who could bend the conventions of cinema music while also crafting lyrics that resonated like timeless poetry. Even in the face of commercial pressures, he clung to his creative freedom, writing songs that dealt with love, loss, spiritual doubt, and the complications of human desire—subjects that rarely found a place in mainstream music of the time.

Gori Gori Gori
Maa (1959)

His first playback song, sung for the film Maa, marked his entry into Odia cinema. At once melodic and youthful, it revealed Mohanty’s potential to balance popular taste with originality. Though conventional compared to his later work, it signaled the arrival of a voice that would soon disrupt Odisha’s musical establishment.

Rakata Talamala
Malajanha (1965)

As a composer, Mohanty’s breakthrough came with Rakata Talamala. The song’s rhythmic immediacy, crafted for the film Malajanha, turned him into a household name. It showed that he could command the cinematic space not only as a singer but as a composer capable of reshaping popular music.

Jajabara Mana Mora
Rangin Jajabara (1975)

A milestone in Odia romantic music. The title—“my wandering heart”—captures the blend of restlessness and tenderness Mohanty brought to his lyrics. This song cemented his reputation as a lyricist who could turn everyday Odia phrases into poetry without losing accessibility.

Chandramallika Hase
1973

One of his early lyrical ballads, soft yet sophisticated. It demonstrated his gift for romantic storytelling and built his popularity with a wider audience. The play of natural imagery with human feeling here would later echo in his ghazals.

Jaare Bhasi Bhasi Ja, Nauka Mor Bhasija
1972

A folk-rooted composition, vivid with the sights and sounds of riverside Odisha. The boat imagery gave listeners a picture of rural life while smuggling in poetic melancholy. Mohanty’s ability to elevate folk rhythms into mainstream appeal made him a bridge between tradition and modernity.

Punyara Nadi Tire
1972

His landmark ghazal. Mohanty infused the Odia ghazal with its first true vocabulary, translating the anguish and elegance of the form into his native idiom. Its riverbank imagery, infused with longing and exile, established him as the pioneer of Odia ghazal.

Kalankita Ei Nayaka
1984

This AIR-broadcast ghazal explored shame, disgrace, and empathy with unusual candor. By turning the ghazal into a psychological monologue, Mohanty showed how Odia could hold the weight of Urdu’s emotional registers without imitation. It became one of his defining works.

Smruti Tume Shrabana Rati
1977

Memory, monsoon, and melancholy. This ghazal-like composition epitomizes Mohanty’s lyrical depth. Here, sound and season intertwine, giving permanence to fleeting impressions. It reveals his strength as a poet who wrote with emotional sophistication beyond mainstream demands.

He Phaguna Tume
1995

With this spring-infused song, Mohanty brought nature into his lyrical palette. By treating seasonal change as metaphor for emotional renewal, he broadened the thematic range of Odia popular music. This was his mature romantic phase, showing restraint and beauty.

Premikara Bari Aare
1977

A love song tinged with conflict rather than idealization. Mohanty didn’t just romanticize relationships—he interrogated them. This composition shows his maturity as a lyricist who could write about tension and vulnerability as much as passion.

Raja Jhia Sange
1982

This composition added social texture to his work. The king’s daughter as romantic subject symbolized class barriers and desire across hierarchies. Mohanty wove these tensions into song, expanding the horizons of Odia popular music beyond formulaic romance.

Hari Jai Thiba
2010

A devotional tone dominates here—the blending of faith, lyrical melody, and folk-rooted musicality. The song reveals Mohanty’s spiritual side, his ability to compose music that’s not just aesthetic but also deeply rooted in Odisha’s devotional traditions.

Ahe Ramahari
2006

The song combines praise and musical craftsmanship to reach listeners in religious settings as well as concert-like spaces. Powerful as a part of his devotional repertoire.

Alasa Kanya
Priyanka (1995)

A gentle duet of burgeoning affection, SPB’s gentle voice in this Rahman-reused tune underscored his ability to convey romantic subtlety without overstatement.

Akshaya Mohanty talks about relationship with Lord Jagannath on Dura Diganta on DD Odia

Akshaya Mohanty Jamming in Cuttack Studio