Legendary Singer-composer and Padma Bhushan Awardee Bhupen Hazarika passed away

Legendary singer-composer  and Padma Bhushan awardee Bhupen Hazarika died in Mumbai on 5 November 2011. He is also known for his poetic compositions that covered a variety of subjects ranging from politics to society and from love to eroticism. Hazarika was a multi-talented personality. He was a poet, music composer, singer, actor, journalist, author and filmmaker.

About Bhupen Hazarika

Bhupen Hazarika was born on 8 September 1926, in Sadiya, Assam. Hazarika studied at Cotton College and then moved to the Banaras Hindu University to complete his Bachelor in Arts in 1944. He completed his MA in Political Science and was honoured with a doctorate by the Columbia University in New York in the 1952. He also received the Lisle Fellowship from Chicago University, US to study the use of educational project development through cinema.

He was the chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi from 1999-2004.

He was chosen as a member of the Assam Legislative Assembly from 1967-72.

Works of Bhupen Hazarika

At the age of 12, Hazarika sang his first song Biswa Bijoy No Jowan for an Assamese film Indramalati. He was involved with the Assamese film industry ever since its inception. He worked to bring tradition of Assamese music to a platform where the world could listen.

Era Batar Sur, Shakuntala, Loti ghoti, Pratidhwani, Chick Mick Bijul, Swikarokti and Siraj are some of the Assamese films that were directed by him. He lent his voice and composed songs for the film.

His soulful compositions for Hindi films Rudali, Chingaari, Daman introduced a new dimension in Bollywood music. His song Dil Hoom Hoom Kare from Rudali is a legend.

Legendary black singer Pual Robenson inspired him to compose his magnum opus O Ganga behti ho kyon.
He wrote over 1000 lyrics and covered a wide range of topics that included short stories, essays, travelogues, poems and children's rhymes.

Hazarika featured in his first music video -Our Northeast, Our Star with Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire. The veretan also sang Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan Vaishnav Jan To for the film Gandhi To Hitler.
He had moved to Mumbai to work as an artist with Indian People's Theatre Movement (IPTA) with music composer Salil Chowdhury, actor Balraj Sahni and a few others.

Awards conferred on Bhupen Hazarika

He was awarded the National Award in 1975 for Chameli Memsaab. He also won the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1992. The legendary composer was conferred the Indian Music Director award for best music Internationally for the film Rudaali at the Asia Pacific International Film Festival 1993 held in Japan.

He won President's medal for his films Shakuntala (1960), Pratidhwani (1964) and Lotighoti (1967). He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987.