GUWAHATI: The esteemed Roopkar Award, established in honor of cine-journalist and author Pabitra Kumar Deka, were conferred upon eminent writer and film critic Utpal Datta for 2023 and acclaimed actor-filmmaker Sanjiv Hazarika for 2024. The awards ceremony, hosted on January 5 at the Pabitra Kumar Deka Archive, was a modest and intimate affair.
Instituted in 2011 to honor Pabitra Kumar Deka, the Roopkar Awards are presented biennially. This year, the awards were handed over by the renowned fine arts artist from the state, Chandan Chutia.
Reflecting on his bond with Pabitra Kumar Deka, Utpal Datta remarked while accepting the award, “Amidst many seasoned writers, Pabitra Kumar Deka always welcomed budding writers like us to contribute to Roopkar magazine. Roopkar was not merely a publication; it was a learning ground for cultural journalism.”
Renowned filmmaker Sanjiv Hazarika, upon receiving the honor, warmly reminisced about how Pabitra Kumar Deka had encouraged him to contribute to Roopkar. The event was hosted by cine-journalist Bidyut Kumar Bhuyan.
Mime artist Moinul Haque brought humor to the occasion as he recounted his interactions with Pabitra Kumar Deka and the late actor Jayanta Das. Renowned film critic Nayan Prasad reflected on how he started writing under Deka’s mentorship, while journalist Mrinal Kumar Bora shared how Deka instilled in him the confidence to engage with prominent personalities.
The intimate gathering featured several notable personalities, including Rana Deka, Nayan Prasad, Moinul Haque, Hemanta Kumar Das, Namrata Dutta, Dilip Chandan, Mrinal Kumar Bora, Montu Saikia, Amardeep Gogoi, Hemanta Debnath, Jitumoni Bora, Rosy Bora, Dhanjit Das, and Hemchandra Pathak, among others.