Mohanty was born in 1950 in an aristocratic Karan family at Pandiri, Kendrapara and brought up in Baripada, Mayurbhanj, Odisha.

He passed successfully from the NSD with classmates like Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar, and Om Puri etc.

[3] He joined the Drama department of the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in 1977 and retired as a professor from the institute in recent years.

Some of his television serials aired on Doordarshan include; Asara Aloka, Sri Jagannath, Subhadra, Sara Akasa, Samaya Chaka, Sakalara Apekhya Re, Nadekhile Loka Dekhe, Mahayagyan and Bidhatara Khela.

Recently he declared his resignation from Congress citing that he was not actively involved in politics after the 2014 general elections.