I was driving to my office in Patna city and played FM rainbow on the radio. I found the commercials FM station a little bit noisy hence the choice. The RJ was talking to some listener on the phone
'Bhupen Hazarika was borne in Assam', said one voice
That's the correct answer.' then replied.
I felt good like all PRE millennial Assamese dinosaurs do. I was delighted to hear Bhupenda discussed in the national forum and listen to his name outside Assam.
After some time, a song from Rudali was played. I asked myself, 'hey, what's happening?
Then the RJ informed that it was his birthday.
That's an even more incredible feeling!
It was his 95th birthday.
I saw @indranils post suggesting celebrating his birth centenary with some idea. And these thoughts came to my mind. I can see that Assam will be celebrating his birth centenary in 2026 with great energy.
But I also fear that most of it would be last-minute haste and outflow of emotions, so its impact would be only one year. But technically, we need much more than that.
So what can we do...? I thought we should plan from now onward to arrive at the best outcome.
What should be systematic planning and an able dedicated leader leading from the front with the help of all machinery?
I decided to type out an ideal way to commemorate 100 years of the bard of Brahmaputra.
I started segregating and typing them accordingly, and here is the masterplan
1. Cinema: His films need urgent restoration and digitalizing. With rapid deuteriation of rolls, it is a now or never phenomenon. It requires skill, money, team, effort, and help from Family, friends, authorized copyright holders, and the Government. I hope everyone will take it seriously.
The list is vast. If all are not available for restoration, priority should go to masterpieces like Era Bator Xur (My personal favourite), Pratidwani
Filmography : (Source Wiki)
· Era Bator Xur
· Mahut Bandhu RE
· Shakuntala
· Pratidwani
· Ka Swariti
· Lati Ghati
· Chik Mik Bujuli
· Roop Konwar Jyoti Parsad Aru Joymoti
· Mera Dharam Meri Maa
· Through Melody and Rhythm
· Mon-Prajapati
· Swikarokti
· Siraj (1988)
2. music for the world :
Just remixing his songs would take him to the so-called Biswar Darbar. He is already there. Some Dedicated, authentic sound needs to do with proper selection, maybe with good international collaboration
Song like
জীৱন ঘড়ীৰ প্ৰতিতো পল was a song on artwork -Melting Watch by Dali, it has an international Value ---so why not collaborate with the western symphony for re-appreciation of the song
জয় জয় নৱজাত বাংলাদেশ – it is still fresh among people of Bangladesh, why not collaborate with a group of talented Bangladeshi musicians to recreate the energy
জিন্দবাদ মেণ্ডেলা: With South African ethnic musician
মই এক জাজাবৰ: It has a world vision!
মানুহে মানুহৰ বাবে: it occurred amongst ten best songs of last century in a BBC survey, as far as my memory goes,
3. music for masses (North East and Bengal):
মানুহে মানুহৰ বাবে is already being sang in various languages of North East lets not forget a single language (Bodo, Karbi, Rabha, Khasi, Missing, Adi, Nagamese, Dimasa, Garo, Mizo……….) a positive effort is being seen initiated by
@Jiban Narah with Laxinath Bezbaruah's O mur Apunar Dekh
I could foresee similar activity to be done all over the northeast
Shilong Choire already has done a lot of musical work. I have high hope they would also come up with some beautiful composition
Similar initiatives are needed from Bengal Also. I fondly remember one of the Bengali Folk songs Where a youth narrates his problem each month hence differs his marriage, citing some concern to the girlfriend. At last, he confesses that he lacks money as all he earns go to Mahajan; similarly, there are many Bengali Song also which are still in the heart of West and East Bengal (Ganga Amar Ma, Padda Amar ma), that needs propagation and exploration
4. Music For the Masses (Rest of India):
Gulzar sahib has done magic with the translation of his song, constructive effort like that should be mentored, propagated with thought with the thing in mind that Bhupen Hazarika does not become a Bollywood commodity.
There are many songs where Bhupen Hazarika addressed the 'Assamese' community which has settled in Assam and
Hamara Bihu Bihu Lagise …for example, is for the Assamese people who settled from Bihar.
4.literature /journalism: If you are a public figure, people stereotype you. That has happened to Bhupen Hazarika also. People forget his works in literature and journalism. May be University /Research project can revisit them and bring them to be academic and public forums.
5. Lyrics: After ten years sans Him, around twenty or thirty songs are still fresh and reverberating in peoples minds. What about the rest? In this context, Professor Dilip Baruah sir did an exemplary job. A gem-like 'Sangram Logne Aj (fro Maniram Dewan) and many more need to evolve out of oblivion
6. Legacy (fiction, non-fiction ):
Many stories are there in a public forum (fiction, non-fiction) concerning Bhupen Hazarika that needs to be collected together
7. Museum: It needs a dedicated full-time curator with a vision, Government investment and much more
The list is endless, but I sincerely believe we should make a neutral body to take the lead. The past organization dealing with similar issues and making a mess of a social task should not lead.
Govt and other responsible organizations should help the big project without trying to walk away with political milestones.
