Renowned singer, Lyricist, music director and film maker Bhupen Hazarika is dead. He was 86. He died this evening at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. Hospital spokes person told AIR, today that Bhupen Hazarika succumbed to multi organ failure today at around 4.30 pm.
The President, Vice President and the Prime Minster have condoled the death of veteran music composer and singer Bhupen Hazarika. The President Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil said, Hazarika's death is a great loss to the music world. Dr.Manmohan Singh said in Hazarika's sad demise, India has lost one of its most gifted artists.
The Government of Assam has expressed its profound sorrow at the sad demise of Assam Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. As a mark of respect to the departed soul, the State Government has declared a three-day state mourning from tomorrow and a half holiday on November 8 next. Assam Governor J.B.Patnaik and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi also condoled the death of Bhupen Hazarika.
Born in 1926 at Sadiya in Assam, Dr. Hazarika pioneered film industry in the Northeast. He has been the only person in the past 40 years to propagate the better cinema movement and has integrated all the seven north-eastern states.
He won the President’s National Award for the best film maker thrice: for ‘Shakuntala’, ‘Pratidhwani’, and ‘Loti Ghoti’ in 1960, 1964 and 1967, respectively.
A recipient of prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1992, Dr. Hazarika rendered music, written lyrics and sung for numerous Assamese, Bengali and Hindi films from 1930s to the 1990s.
He received Padma Bhusan in 2001 and Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 2009. In 1975, Dr. Hazarika received National award for best regional films.
The Assam Government awarded him with the highest honour of the State “Asom Ratna” in 2008 and bestowed its highest award the ‘Shankar Dev Award’ in 1987 for his contribution to Assam’s culture.
Dr. Hazarika was the president of the highest literary organization of Assam, the Asom Sahitya Sabha in 1993.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni described legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika, as a “multifaceted” personality and a true exponent of national integration. In her condolence message the minister said Hazarika pioneered the vision of Assamese cinema on the global map.
