Who is Bhupen Hazarika?

A poet and a lyricist, Hazarika also penned songs, which although written and sung in Assamese, have been known to have a universal appeal, stepped in themes of humanity and communal harmony. Each had a message enveloped in them, functioning as an instrument that held a mirror in front of society. While songs like Manuhhe Manuhor Babe (Humans are for humanity), questioned whether humanity existed in society; another iconic creation, Ganga Boicho Keno (Ganga, why do you flow?), rebuked the beautiful Brahmaputra flowing quietly, in spite of bearing witness to the cruelty around it.

Hazarika wrote lyrics and sang for countless Assamese, Hindi and Bengali films, and has been credited for introducing Assamese folk music to Hindi cinema. Hazarika’s name was known in many households, in fact, his words inspired many freedom fighters during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

In addition, Hazarika also made a gamut of films like Era Bator Sur (1956), Mon Prajapati (1979), Swikarokti (1986) and Chingaari (2006). For his mammoth body of work and contribution to Indian cinema, he received the National Film Award for Best Music Direction (1975), Padmashri (1997), Padmabhushan (2001), and posthumously, the Padma Vibhushan (2012), among other awards.

He was also the recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987), as well as the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award (1992). In May 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s longest bridge (9.15 kms), which runs over the Lohit river in Assam. Modi named the Dhola-Sadia bridge after Bhupen Hazarika.