Assam's Famous Artist And Filmmaker Pulak Gogoi Is No More

GUWAHATI: Following a protracted illness, Pulak Gogoi, one of Assam's most prominent figures in the arts and culture scene, passed away on Saturday morning. He was 84.

Gogoi had been receiving treatment at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) for a while. At 8.30 this morning, he passed away.

Gogoi, who was born in 1938, had a deep understanding of both canvas and celluloid, and this led to a number of activities, including exhibitions in the 1960s in Guwahati, Shillong, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Washington as well as the introduction of the parallel film movement to the Assamese community with "Khoj" and other films.

Pulak Gogoi was known to be one of the first cartoonists in Assam. He began his career as a cartoonist in Asom Bani, a well-liked weekly news publication, between 1963 and 1964. He eventually joined Dainik Asam.

Later, he launched his own business as editor of Cartoon, the first publication of its kind in Assam, in 1967. The cartoon ran for five years, from 1967 to 1972.

In addition, from 1967 to 1972, he served as the magazine's chief assistant for the well-known Assamese publication Amar Pratinidhi, which was edited by Dr. Bhupen Hazarika.

He kept working as a freelance political cartoonist for publications including Sadin, Abikal, and others.

With the assistance of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Art Society, he held numerous solo exhibitions both inside and outside of Assam, including in the United States.

With the release of his first movie, "Khoj," Gogoi made his filmmaking debut. He has produced five of his nine films, five of which he has directed. One of these films won the National Award for Best Regional Film in 1993 and the Film Fare Award for Best Assamese Film in 2014.

His films include Patnee (1999), Relar Alir Dubari Bon (1993), Morom Nodir Gabharu Ghat (1999), Sendur (1984), Sadari (1983), Srimati Mahimamoyee (1978), and (2003).

Pulak Gogoi has received numerous honors and medals. He won the Prag Cine Awards' Best Direction in Assamese Film Category in 2013 for Momtaz. In 2016, he also won the Guruji Adya Sharma award.

For his contributions to Assam's fine arts community, the state of Assam awarded the prestigious Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha award in 2017.

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