An engineer, Deviprasad also has a creative side. He pursues his passions by making documentaries and advises documentary makers to be patient and work hard, as there will be challenges along the way.

Deviprasad Patra is a Civil Engineer at the Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd. in Bhubaneswar. He also makes documentaries.

Born and brought up in Itamati, Odisha, he completed his education there itself and did a B.Tech. After getting a job, he started following his creative hobbies again. He made paintings for school students, which motivated him further. Later while he was working with Arvind Ltd. in Ahmedabad, he made a painting of 10 by 6 feet and got appreciation for it, which boosted his confidence. He also made paintings for exhibitions.

Deviprasad is a travel blogger too, who has been exploring different parts of India since 2014. He enjoys immersing himself in different cultures. He says that though he enjoys his job as a civil engineer, he also believes in pursuing his other interests. He has also made a documentary on Rajasthan by exploring the culture of the state.

He feels that solo travelling is better as compared to group travelling. Travelling with friends restricts you from exploring places and cultures according to your taste. However, solo travelling also includes risks but he believes one should always be positive in every circumstance.

Talking about his achievements, Deviprasad says he was rewarded for working out of the box during his job. He came from a middle-class family where he had never thought that someday he would be providing employment to others. Managing good jobs for others is also a huge achievement for him.

Recalling his childhood, Deviprasad says he had been creative since his childhood as he used to see his parents creating ‘mandalas’ and other artwork. He also used to take singing classes. Being a good student, he also used to participate in debate competitions. He says since his father was a teacher, he and his siblings had to study even during the summer holidays.

Deviprasad has had to face challenges while making documentary films, as people often do not cooperate well. This can make it difficult to get the footage he needs, and he has also been denied permission to shoot at certain locations.

When asked about his role models, Deviprasad says he considers his parents as his role models. He says he follows his father because he is very punctual and confident. His mother has also worked hard to fulfil his dreams. Furthermore, he also takes inspiration from his elder sister.

Sharing his opinion on education and experience, Deviprasad says education is a basic need of an individual, however in order to grow effectively one needs to have experience. He believes there is no benefit of having an education without experience.

Deviprasad says during his job he wanted to travel a lot. He got a job offer from Mauritius where the work was to travel to different countries but he couldn’t go because his family wanted him to stay with them as he was already working in Gujarat for eight years. Later, he did a small job under the state government of Odisha. It was a challenging time for him to work and earn one-fifth of the salary he deserves. However, he overcame the challenges and currently holds a good position in his career.

If given a time machine to go back in time, Deviprasad would like to relive the very first two years of his life when he didn’t know anything. He wants to experience those moments of his life which he doesn't remember.

Deviprasad enjoys his job as an interior designer, which allows him to select colours and design rooms. He also enjoys travelling and socialising on social media. He also likes to paint and spend time with his friends.

He believes that while there are people around you who can offer suggestions or help, there are some things that you must do on your own in order to achieve your goals.

Advising people who want to make documentaries, Deviprasad says there will be challenges as many times people will not allow you to shoot or there would be delay due to weather changes. However, you will need to be patient and work hard to achieve your dreams.