Guwahati, Nov 12: Popular Filmmaker-Artist, Pulak Gogoi, a stalwart in the field of art and culture, has passed away on Saturday morning following prolonged illness in Guwahati. The veteran was 84.
Gogoi was undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) since a long time breathed his last at 8.30 am today morning.
Assam CM took to Twitter to share the news and expressed his deepest condolence towards the veteran artist, "I am saddened by the news of the passing away of eminent film director and renowned painter and cartoonist Pulak Gogoi, a prominent figure in the cultural world of Assam.
"Gogoi, who has been working tirelessly towards the upliftment of the world of Assamese cinema and painting for a long time, gifted several successful Assamese films and occupied a special place. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaves family by praying for eternal peace to the virtuous soul of him," Sarma further added.
Pulak Gogoi, who is known as one of the pioneer cartoonists of Assam, began as a cartoonist in 1963 to 1964 in Asam Bani, but later joined Dainik Asam, of The Assam Tribune group.
In 1967, he started his own venture as a editor of a periodical magazine named 'Cartoon,' which lasted for five years till 1972. Gogoi continued his journey as an independent political cartoonist in various newspapers and magazines including Sadin, Abikal etc.
He held many solo exhibitions in and outside of Assam including the United States with the help of International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Art Society.
In 1974, Pulak Gogoi stepped into filmmaking with his first film 'Khoj'.
Some of his notable films include, Srimati Mahimamoyee (1978), Sadari (1983), Sendur (1984), Relar Alir Dubari Bon (1993), Morom Nodir Gabharu Ghat (1999), Patnee (2003).
So far, he has directed nine films where one of his films fetched the National Award for Best Regional Film in 1993 and bagged the Film Fare Award for Best Assamese Film in the year 2014.
Besides, Pulak Gogoi has received many awards and accolades to his name.
He also bagged the Guruji Adya Sharma award in 2016 and in 2017, the Assam government has conferred the prestigious Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha award for his contribution in the field of fine arts in Assam.
