GUWAHATI, April 16 � National award winner Assamese filmmaker Bidyut Chakravarty passed away on Wednesday here at a private hospital, casting a pall of gloom in the regional film industry.
Chakravarty (55), an actor-director par excellence, was ailing for some time.
Born in Guwahati on January 1, 1960, Chakravarty�s maiden directorial venture was a telefilm, titled Kukurnechia Manuh � based on a stage play by eminent playwright Arun Sarma � produced by Guwahati Doordarshan Kendra in 1985.
In 1996, he made his debut as a feature film director with Raag-Birag, which was also the inaugural film in Indian Panorama Section at the International Film Festival of India in 1997. The film went on to bag national awards in three categories, including the Indira Gandhi National Award for Best First Film of a Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editor.
Besides, the movie earned rave reviews when it was screened at the Cairo Film Festival as an official entry. It also won as many as nine Assam State Film Awards instituted for the first time by the State government in 1998.
Some of his other acclaimed movies are Nishiddha Nodi, Goon Goon Ganey Ganey and Anurag.
His latest directorial venture, Dwaar won the Filmfare awards in a number of categories, including best director. He also served as a jury member of the National Awards.
Besides direction, Chakravarty also carved a niche for himself in the field of acting. He acted in a number of movies, including Grahan, Prabhati Pakhir Gaan, Haladhar, Ramdhenu and TRP, besides putting up a commendable performance in stage plays like Mritunjoy, Antaranga Alap and Bhoy among others.
A founder member of Surjya, a socio-cultural organisation set up in 1985, he actively participated in initiatives to bail out the ailing Assamese film industry.
Members of the Assamese film and music industry and fans turned up in large numbers to pay their last tribute to the departed soul.
Chakravarty left behind his wife and mother.
Among those who paid tributes to the filmmaker were Asam Sahitya Sabha president Dhrubajyoti Bora, artistes Munin Baruah, Mridula Baruah, Kapil Bora and Zerifa Wahid beside others.
Meanwhile, Governor PB Acharya has expresses his profound sorrow at the untimely death of Chakravarty and conveyed his condolences to the members of the bereaved family.
Many organisations, including Jyotirupa, mourned Chakravarty�s death, terming him as a great cultural activist and stating that his death created a void in the State�s cultural spheres.
