Guwahati: Pulak Gogoi, one of Assam’s most prominent figures in the arts and culture passed away on Saturday morning after a protracted illness. He was 84.
Gogoi had long been receiving care at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH). He passed away today morning at 8:30 am.
Gogoi, who was born in 1938, had a deep understanding of both canvas and celluloid, which 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.”
One of Assam’s original cartoonists is Pulak Gogoi. He worked as a cartoonist for Asam Bani, a well-liked weekly news publication owned by the Assam Tribune group from 1963 to 1964. He then merged with Dainaik Asam.
He began his own business in 1967 as the editor of Cartoon, the first publication of its sort in Assam, which ran for five years till 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.
He conducted numerous solo shows both inside and outside of Assam, notably in the United States with the assistance of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Art Society.
“Khoj,” Gogoi made his filmmaking debut. He has produced five of his nine films, five of which he has directed with the release of his first movie. 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 honours and medals. He won the Prag Cine Awards’ Best Direction in Assamese Film Category in 2013 for Momtaz. He also won the Guruji Adya Sharma award in 2016.
The state of Assam awarded the prestigious Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha award in 2017 for his contributions to Assam’s fine arts community.