The year-long birth centenary celebrations of legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika will commence on Monday, with the Assam government and various other organisations set to pay tributes to the maestro. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the celebrations on September 13, on the first day of his two-day visit to Assam. Hazarika’s only son Tez Hazarika, along with the latter’s wife and son, have arrived here from the US to attend the centenary celebrations. A 65-minute-long documentary, ‘Bhupen da Uncut’, directed by Bobbeeta Sharma, was released here on Sunday.
The documentary is a candid first-person account of Hazarika while he was on a visit to England in 1999 to participate in a cultural programme organised by the Assam Medical College Doctors Alumni Group. “In the documentary, Bhupen da, as he is fondly referred to by all, spoke at length about his childhood — the influence and interaction with cultural stalwarts like Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, the pioneer of Assamese cinema,” Sharma said. He also talks about his pursuit of higher studies in New York, how he met his wife, Priyamvada Patel, the dynamics of their relationship, as well as his philosophy of life and ideology.
His son Tez Hazarika, brother Samar Hazarika and other family members were also present on the occasion. Nearly 50,000 people gathered in different parts of the state at 11.31 am to recite the poem, ‘Mrityu Jinar Gaan, Eta Gaan Ses Hol’, in an initiative by Asom Abriti aru Sanskriti Parishad. The poem was composed by noted academician Amarjyoti Choudhury in memory of Hazarika. In Tezpur, a place where Hazarika had spent much time, over 300 people came together to recite the poem in unison, along with a similar endeavour in 32 districts of the state. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a post on X, said Hazarika remains an inspiration for all.
