GUWAHATI, March 25 � Pinning high hopes on the revival and uplift of the Assamese film industry, the 4th Prag Cine Awards will be given on April 12, with seven Assamese movies in the competition.
Instituted in 2003, the awards aim at giving support, recognition and inspiration to the Assamese film industry and all those who are associated with film production in Assam.
The films will be judged for 22 award categories whereas the Lifetime Achievement Award will be conferred on veteran film personality Nipon Goswami in recognition of his invaluable contribution towards Assamese cinema. Seven films approved by the Censor Board in 2011, namely Raamdhenu, Tumar Khobor, Ekhon Nedhekha Nadir Sipare, Jaanmoni, The Weekend, Baakor Putek and Samiran Baruah Ahi Ase will be in the fray for awards.
�Despite the ongoing lean period, seven Assamese films have been approved by the Censor Board this year, which is a very positive sign. The good work done by all those who are involved with the Assamese films must be rewarded. Moreover, we are committed to continuing the award function even if only one Assamese film is produced in the entire year,� Sanjive Narain, chairman of Prag Channel, the organisers of the event, said.
The award ceremony will be held at the GMCH auditorium in Guwahati. Much fanfare is expected in this year�s celebrations with the performances of celebrities like Zubeen Garg, Debojit Saha and other distinguished artistes of the Assamese film industry in the cultural evening.
�The Prag Cine Awards have got a favourable response since its inception. The film fraternity of Assam also looks forward to this award function as it is a unique platform to recognise their efforts. There is a category of �best film in language other than Assamese� to honour the efforts of those who produce movies in other languages of Assam,� said Nayan Prasad, noted film critic and theatre personality. Veteran actor Biju Phukan was also present on the occasion.
The organisers of the awards rued that even the State Government could not continue organising an award function for the Assamese film industry.
