Makhanlal was born in 1904 in Balu Bazar, Cuttack. He worked as Head Clerk in Central Co-operative Bank. Watching plays and acting was his addiction. The addiction was such that he used to go to Calcutta every Saturday, watch a play there on Sunday, and return to Cuttack on Monday to join the office work. He organized many music festivals in Cuttack. He was the patron of Cuttack’s Binapani Club. In 1932, a stage and cinema-based magazine called ‘Aarti’ was published due to his efforts. It was the first film-based magazine. Sarat Chandra Mukherjee was editing this magazine.