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Bhupen Hazarika, a man of many talents, became the heartthrob of Hindi Cinema with his extraordinary and unique musical composition. Let us know more about the Bard of the Brahmaputra, who infused his soulful folk culture to mainstream cinema.
Born on 8th September 1926
Born into the town of Sadiya, Assam, Bhupen Hazarika was the eldest of all his siblings. His parents, Nilkanta and Shantipriya Hazarika were ordinary folks trying to raise their children. The family moved all around Assam in search of better prospects. Their stay at Tezpur changed things for good. One day, Hazarika was singing Borgeet (Assamese devotional song) at a public event, when unbeknownst to him, Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha were awestruck by his singing. Jyotiprasad Agarwala was the first Assamese filmmaker and a noted lyricist, while Bishnu Prasad Rabha was a renowned Assamese poet and artist. They discovered Hazarika's talent and urged him to travel to Kolkata, where he got his first break when he was ten years old.
From there, his career took flight. In 1939, he sang two songs in Agarwala's film, Indramalati. And at the age of 13, he wrote his first song, "Agnijugor Firingoti Moi".
Even though Hazarika is known for his achievements in the musical world, a lesser-known fact about him is that he graduated and attained his masters in political science from the Banaras Hindu University. He then proceeded to work with All India Radio for a brief period and received a scholarship to Columbia University. In 1949, he set sail for New York, where he was about to explore a new whole new world.
He befriended Paul Robeson, who was an active civil rights activist and an artist. Their friendship influenced Hazarika in developing strong humanitarian feelings, which would shape much of his later works. Hazarika's Bistirno Parore was inspired by *Robeson's *Ol'Man River, which was the anthem of the show Show Boat. The show talked about the hardships of the African-American population while comparing it with the flow of the Mississippi River. The African-American tradition traces the very existence of their lives in America with the river since it was through it that they were brought and introduced to the dehumanising practise of slavery in the U.S.
Similarly, Hazarika was inspired by the theme of the song and employed a similar style of myth-making to invoke the river Brahmaputra that flows through Assam. The song is embedded with deep symbolism and has a humanising touch to it.
On his return to India, he took up the job of teaching at the Guwahati University. After a few years, he left the job and shifted to Kolkata to pursue a career in music and cinema. His decision only proved to be the best when he made the award-winning movies of Shakuntala Sur and Pratidhwani. In addition to this, his apparent success in the musical world won him much fame and glory. His baritone voice and empathetic touch to the songs he composed were unparalleled to any works of his time.
Hazarika's collaboration with Kalpana Lajmi facilitated the production and making of some of his best works. Rudaali, Ek Pal, and Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence are amongst the most notable works of the duo. The famous song Dil Hoom Hoom Kare of Rudaali is said to move the audience to tears. Therefore, it is no surprise that he won the Best Music Director National Award for Rudaali in 1993. All these movies had a strong social message coupled with empathising songs, which are still appreciated by the masses.
The film Rudaali has a personal story attached to it. Hazarika confessed that he had used one of his mother's lullabies for a song in the film. It is then discovered that it was his mother who introduced him to the world of music. Her lullabies and Assamese folk songs were a large part of Hazarika's childhood.
Hazarika's career won him many awards including, Padma Shri (1997), Dadasaheb Phalke Awards (1992) and Padma Bhushan (2001). He was posthumously awarded Padma Bhushan (2012) and Bharat Ratna (2019).
Hazarika's legacy echoes through many generations, especially in West Bengal and Bangladesh. His songs are known to breathe soul into the lives of people. His human touch and a persistent message of the universal brotherhood have made him an ultimate hero. His voice still manages to win hearts and inspire many young artists.
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