Puri: In a tragic incident, actor Ayaskant Swain (53) died while rehearsing ahead of a play for which the stage was set at Annapurna Theatre in Puri on Sunday.

As per reports, the play was scheduled to be performed on the fourth evening of the 15th National Theatre Festival, organized by Rangashala. Swain, who was part of the Manana Natya Sanstha group, had inspected the stage setup before joining the cast for a rehearsal.

While reciting his dialogues, he suddenly began coughing and collapsed. His fellow actors and organizers rushed him to Puri District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Swain, who was a resident of Bhubaneswar, had acted in over a hundred plays and also worked as a co-director. His remarkable performances in various television programmes, especially his role as Corona Jeje, had made him a household name.

The sudden demise of Swain has left the Odia theatre and television fraternity mourning the loss of a talented artist. Several eminent personalities have expressed their condolences, remembering his invaluable contribution to the performing arts.