Devdas Chhotray

Who is Devdas Chhotray?

Devdas Chhotray is an acclaimed writer in the Oriya language. His body of work consists of poetry, stories, lyrics, musicals and screenplays.

His father, Gopal Chhotray, a Padma Award winner, and recipient of Central Sahitya Academy and Sangeet Natak Academy awards, was the chief architect of modern Oriya theatre.

Devdas Chhotray is widely known for his four decades of poetry and lyrics, which have been translated into several Indian and foreign languages. He is one of the few outsiders whose work has been published in Bengali translation in Sunil Gangopadhyaya edited "Krittibas". He has received the prestigious Prajatantra Bisuv Milan Award, Utkal Samaj Centenary Award, and Rajdhani Book Fair Award 2008 for poetry. He has also been nominated to receive the prestigious Bhanuji Rao Memorial Award for excellence in Oriya poetry on 15 March 2009.

His collection of stories, 'Lal Machha' has received wide critical acclaim. He composed lyrics for more than 75 films in Oriya, and earned State award as the Best Lyricist on more than five occasions. Apart from singer composer Akshaya Mohanty from Orissa, all top singers of Mumbai and Kolkata including Sandhya Mukherjee, Nirmala Mishra, Usha Uthup, Suresh Wadekar, Udit Narayan, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Sunidhi Chauhan have rendered his lyrics. A majority of his non-film commercial songs have been recorded by HMV. He has composed musicals for television also.