GUWAHATI, June 21 - Noted Sattriya exponents Jagannath Bayan and Ramkrishna Talukdar and art director Nuruddin Ahmed have been selected for the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award for 2017.
Jagannath Bayan, the borbayan of Barpeta Satra, was born in 1925, and used to sell articles in villages of Barpeta district to earn a living. Bayan has trained several people in playing the khol, and has taken part in several programmes under the aegis of the State Cultural department.
Ramkrishna Talukdar was born at Bamakhata in Barpeta district in 1963. He studied BMusic at Gauhati University with major in Sattriya dance. He also pursued higher studies at BSV Lucknow, and IKS University, Madhya Pradesh.
He learnt Sattriya dance from Ananda Mohan Bhagawati, Roseswar Saikia Borbayan, Padma Shri award winner Jatin Goswami and another Padma Shri award winner Ghana Kanta Bora Borbayan. Many students from Belarus, Japan, Kazakhstan, the US and France have received training from him.
He has written books and has performed in many places across India and at several national and international events, including in London and Kuwait. He has produced and directed more than 12 dance dramas and composed and choreographed around 30 dance numbers.
Born in a small village in Nalbari, Ahmed studied at JJ College of Arts in Mumbai and Lalit Kala Akademi in Delhi. He has worked as an art director in more than 60 films and for the past 37 years in the Assamese mobile theatre. Currently working at Rajdeep Art Studio in Guwahati, Ahmed has trained more than 40 youths who are now working in the industry.
