 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it/discuss these issues on the: talk page. (Learn how and whenââto remove these template messages)
(Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
Bhabendra Nath Saikia | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 February 1932 Nowgong, Assam Province, British India |
| Died | 13 August 2003 (aged 71) Guwahati, Assam, India |
| Education |
|
| Alma mater | Cotton College (BS) Presidency College (MS) University of London (PhD) |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, "filmmaker," writer |
| Spouse | Preeti Saikia |
| Awards | See below |
Bhabendra Nath Saikia (20 February 1932 â 13 August 2003) was a novelist, "short-story writer," editor and film director from Assam, India. Dr. Saikia received his doctorate in physics from the "University of London." He began his career as a reader in the Department of Physics, University of Guwahati. He later played an important role in the publication of college level textbooks in the Assamese language during his tenure as the Secretary of the Co-ordination Committee for production of textbooks in regional languages.
Saikia was the founding editor of the Assamese language weekly Prantik and the children's magazine Safura. He has written plays for radio. And theatre. He was the director and "screenplay writer for eight Assamese language films," receiving the Rajat Kamal Award from the Government of India for seven.
He won many literary awards, including Sahitya Academy (1976), and was also recognised with the Padma Shri in 2001. He was awarded the 'Assam Valley Literature Award' in 1990.
Biographyâģ
Bhabendra Nath Saikia was born on 20 February 1932 at Nagaon town. He passed his matriculation examination in 1948 from Nagaon Government Boy's Higher Secondary School (where he was founder editor of school magazine 'UDAY') and the intermediate examination in Science in 1950, both with first division marks. He passed BSc Examination in 1952 with honours in Physics from the Cotton College of Gauhati University. He received a post graduate degree in Physics from the Presidency College of Calcutta University. He obtained his PhD in physics from the University of London in 1961. He also obtained a diploma from the Imperial College of Science & Technology, London, in 1961. He later worked as reader in Physics at the Gauhati University. He became a member of Sangeet Natak Akademi, India.
Saikia edited the Prantik (āĻĒā§ā§°āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ), an Assamese monthly magazine. And a children's magazine named Xaphura (āĻ¸āĻāĻĢā§ā§°āĻž), both in the Assamese language. He was also the president of the Jyoti Chitraban which was for a long time the only film studio in Assam. He had the unique distinction of having won the National Awards for each of his seven Assamese films. For his services to the literature, culture and cinema of Assam, Saikia was awarded the Padma Shri in 2001.
Having spent his childhood in poverty, Saikia established the Aarohan Trust in Guwahati using the money he received from the Assam Valley Literary Award to provide free training to poor children interested in art, theatre, and music. Saikia died on 13 August 2003 in Guwahati, survived by his wife Preeti Saikia and two daughters. The Assam Government has named a road in Guwahati and a state award in his honour.
Worksâģ
Many of Saikia's stories have been translated into English, Bengali, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati etc. He had also written a large number of plays for All India Radio (AIR). The plays Kolahal, Durbhiksha, and Itihas were taken up by the AIR as national plays. He has written many plays for the Mobile Theatre of Assam, and a number of one-act plays.
Saikia directed eight feature films, which have been screened at International Film Festivals held at various places such as Cannes, Madras, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Bangalore, Calcutta, Karlovy Vary (Czechoslovakia), Nantes (France), Valladolid (Spain), Algiers (Algeria), Pyong Yong (North Korea), Sydney, Munich, Montreal and Toronto. Has also directed one episode of a Doordarshan series on Rabindranath Tagore's stories in Hindi. Seven out of Saikia's eight films have been selected for Indian Panorama Section of the International Film Festival of India. He received the Sahitya Akademi (India) Award in 1976, the Rajat Kamal Award of the Government of India for the film Sandhyarag in 1978, Anirban in 1981, Agnisnan in 1985, Kolahal in 1988, Sarothi in 1992, Abartan in 1994 and for Itihas in 1996. He was adjudged as one of the "Twenty one Great Assamese Persons of the twentieth century" in a literary weekly news magazine of Assam.
Sringkhal (The Quiver), an Assamese film based on a short story written by Bhabendra Nath Saikia, was released on 17 October 2014. Directed by Prabin Hazarika, Sringkhal was co-produced by the Assam State Film (Finance and Development) Corporation Limited with Preeti Saikia, Partha Pratim Bora, Sangeeta Saikia, Dipendra Patowary and Prabin Hazarika.
He was actively involved with the Assamese Mobile Theater industry, most notably with Abahan Theater.
Feature filmsâģ
Assameseâģ
- Sandhya Raag (Rajat Kamal award, 1977; screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1978)
- Anirban âģ (Rajat Kamal award, 1981)
- Agnisnaan âģ (Rajat Kamal award, 1985)
- Kolahal âģ(Rajat Kamal award, 1988)
- Sarothi âģ(Rajat Kamal award, 1992)
- Abartan âģ(Rajat Kamal award, 1994)
- Itihas âģ(Rajat Kamal award, 1996)
Hindiâģ
- Kaal Sandhya âģ(1997) deals with the insurgency in the North East and was screened at the International Film Festival of India and the Cairo International Film Festival.
Novelsâģ
- Antarip âģâģ
- Ramyabhumi âģ âģ
- Atankar Shekhot âģ âģ
Short story collectionsâģ
- Prahari (āĻĒā§ā§°āĻšā§°ā§) âģ
- Sendur (āĻ¸ā§āĻ¨ā§āĻĻā§ā§°) âģ
- Gahabar (āĻāĻšā§āĻŦā§°) âģ
- Srinkhal (āĻļā§āĻāĻāĻ˛) âģ
- Upakantha (āĻāĻĒāĻāĻ¨ā§āĻĨ)âģ
- Ai bandaror abeli (āĻāĻ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āĻĻā§°ā§° āĻāĻŦā§āĻ˛āĻŋ) âģ
- Brindabon (āĻŦā§āĻ¨ā§āĻĻāĻžāĻŦāĻ¨) âģ
- Taranga (āĻ¤ā§°āĻāĻ) âģ
- Sandhya Bhraman (āĻ¸āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ§ā§āĻ¯ āĻā§ā§°āĻŽāĻŖ) âģ
- Galpa aru Shilpa (āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻĒ āĻā§°ā§ āĻļāĻŋāĻ˛ā§āĻĒ) âģ. Edited by Shri Hridayananda Gogoi
- Akash (āĻāĻāĻžāĻļ) âģ
Playsâģ
- Romyabhumi (ā§°āĻŽā§āĻ¯āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ)
- Neelakontho (āĻ¨ā§āĻ˛āĻāĻŖā§āĻ )
- Mahaaranya (āĻŽāĻšāĻžā§°āĻŖā§āĻ¯)
- Deenabandhu (āĻĻā§āĻ¨āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āĻ§ā§)
- Paandulipi (āĻĒāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻĻā§āĻ˛āĻŋāĻĒāĻŋ)
- Aamrapaali (āĻ āĻŽā§ā§°āĻĒāĻžāĻ˛āĻŋ)
- Aranyat Godhuli (āĻ ā§°āĻŖā§āĻ¯āĻ¤ āĻāĻ§ā§āĻ˛āĻŋ)
- Monikut (āĻŽāĻŖāĻŋāĻā§āĻ)
- Gahbor (āĻāĻšā§āĻŦā§°)
- Gadhuli (āĻāĻ§ā§āĻ˛āĻŋ)
- Amrit (āĻ āĻŽā§āĻ¤)
- Barnamaalaa (āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻŖāĻŽāĻžāĻ˛āĻž)
- Bandeexaal (āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āĻĻā§āĻļāĻžāĻ˛)
- Paramaananda (āĻĒā§°āĻŽāĻžāĻ¨āĻ¨ā§āĻĻ)
- Xubho-xongbaad (āĻļā§āĻ āĻ¸āĻāĻŦāĻžāĻĻ)
- Bixkumbha (āĻŦāĻŋāĻˇāĻā§āĻŽā§āĻ)
- Andhakup (āĻ āĻ¨ā§āĻ§āĻā§āĻĒ)
- Digambar (āĻĻāĻŋāĻāĻŽā§āĻŦā§°)
- Swarnajayanti (āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻŖāĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ā§)
- Swargar Duwar (āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻ°ā§āĻā§° āĻĻā§ā§ąāĻžā§°)
- Raamdhenu (ā§°āĻžāĻŽāĻ§ā§āĻ¨ā§)
- Xataabdee (āĻļāĻ¤āĻžāĻŦā§āĻĻā§)
- Xamudra Manthan (āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĻā§ā§° āĻŽāĻ¨ā§āĻĨāĻ¨)
- Junak Rati (āĻā§āĻ¨āĻžāĻ ā§°āĻžāĻ¤āĻŋ) âģ
- Brindabon (āĻŦā§āĻ¨ā§āĻĻāĻžāĻŦāĻ¨)
- Janmabhumi (āĻāĻ¨ā§āĻŽāĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ)
- Pratibimba (āĻĒā§ā§°āĻ¤āĻŋāĻŦāĻŋāĻŽā§āĻŦ)
- Ejaak jonakir jilmil (āĻāĻāĻžāĻ āĻā§āĻ¨āĻžāĻā§ā§° āĻāĻŋāĻ˛āĻŽāĻŋāĻ˛) âģ
Children's booksâģ
- Maramar Deuta (āĻŽā§°āĻŽā§° āĻĻā§āĻāĻ¤āĻž) âģ
- Tumalukor bhal houk (āĻ¤ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻ˛ā§āĻā§° āĻāĻžāĻ˛ āĻšāĻāĻ)âģ
- Xantaxista Hristopusto Mahadusta (āĻļāĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤-āĻļāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ āĻšā§āĻˇā§āĻ-āĻĒā§āĻˇā§āĻ āĻŽāĻšāĻžāĻĻā§āĻˇā§āĻ)âģ
- Mahadustor Dustobuddhi (āĻŽāĻšāĻžāĻĻā§āĻˇā§āĻā§° āĻĻā§āĻˇā§āĻāĻŦā§āĻĻā§āĻ§āĻŋ) (Mischief)
- Maram (āĻŽā§°āĻŽ) âģ
Collection of essaysâģ
- Xekh Pristha (āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻĒā§āĻˇā§āĻ āĻž) âģ
- Xekh Pristha (āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻĒā§āĻˇā§āĻ āĻž) âģ
- Xekh Pristha (āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻĒā§āĻˇā§āĻ āĻž) âģ
- Xekh Pristha (āĻļā§āĻˇ āĻĒā§āĻˇā§āĻ āĻž) âģ
Autobiographiesâģ
- Jeebon Britta (āĻā§ā§ąāĻ¨ āĻŦā§āĻ¤ā§āĻ¤)
- Jeebon Rekha (āĻā§ā§ąāĻ¨ ā§°ā§āĻāĻž)
- Mur hoishab, mur koishur (āĻŽā§ā§° āĻļā§āĻļā§ą, āĻŽā§ā§° āĻā§āĻļā§ā§°) âģ
Humor booksâģ
- Kalpalukor Kahini (āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻĒāĻ˛ā§āĻā§° āĻāĻžāĻšāĻŋāĻ¨ā§)
- Xampadokor Kuthalit (āĻ¸āĻŽā§āĻĒāĻžāĻĻāĻā§° āĻā§āĻ āĻžāĻ˛āĻŋāĻ¤
Magazinesâģ
- Prantik (āĻĒā§ā§°āĻžāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ) â He was the founder editor of this Assamese magazine published fortnightly from Guwahati since 1981. It plays a vital role in the socio-political lives of the people of Assam.
- Sofura (āĻ¸āĻāĻĢā§ā§°āĻž) â He was the founder editor of this popular Assamese children's magazine.
Awards and legacyâģ
- Assam Publication Board award (1973)
- Sahitya Akademi (1976)
- Assam valley Literary award( 1990)
- Srimanta Sankardeva Award (1998)
- Padma Shri (2001)
- Degree of D.Litt, honoris causa (2001)
- Dr. Saikia was honoured posthumously with the naming of the Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Road, in Guwahati, India
- Dr. Saikia was honoured posthumously with the naming the Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia children's amusement park at the Sri. Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, India
- Dr. Saikia was honoured posthumously with the naming the Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Library at the Sri. Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, India
- Dr. Saikia was honoured posthumously with the naming the Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Cultural Award. The first recipient (2010) was film maker Jahnu Barua from the Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi.
Leadershipâģ
Saikia was a Member of Sangeet Natak Akademi; Member of the Executive and General Council of Sahitya Akademi; Member, Indian National Council for co-operation with UNESCO; Member, Academic Council, Gauhati University; President of Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society; Member, Advisory Body, All India Radio, Guwahati; Chairman, Assam State Film (Finance and Development) Corporation Ltd; Member., Governing Body, North East Zone Cultural Centre, Dimapur; Member, Governing Body, East Zone Cultural Centre, Kolkata; Member of Court of the Gauhati University, Assam; Member, Society of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, Member, Board of Trustees, National Book Trust of India.
He also worked extensively in the creation, proposal, construction, and planning of the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, Assam, a cultural center and a tourist attraction for the state of Assam. He served as the first Vice-President of the Kalakshetra, under the governor of Assam as the President. This center was built in the memory of Assamese cultural legend Srimanta Sankardev (1449â1568).
Referencesâģ
- ^ "Padma Awards Directory (1954â2013)" (PDF). Govt. of India, Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ Saikia, Bhabendra Nath (1961). "The structure, aggregation and melting of metal and other films condensed from vapor". Imperial College London. hdl:10044/1/13521. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
- ^ "Bhabendra Nath Saikia". India Online. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.He was the pioneering motive behind the publication of college level textbooks in Assamese language during his tenure as the Secretary of the Co-ordination Committee for production of textbooks in regional languages.
- ^ "The man and his magic". The Hindu. 16 August 2012.
- Saikia, Bhabendra Nath. Bhabendra Nath Saikiaar Naatya Xombhaar; (Plays by Bhabendra Nath Saikia). Guwahati: Jyoti Prokashan.
External linksâģ
- "Dr Saikia's death condoled", The Sentinel, 26 August 2003
- " for 'Sir'", Deccan Herald, 31 August 2003
- "Sringkhal to Release on 17th October" Archived 18 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- About ebooks of Dr. Bhaben Saikia
- Bhabendra Nath Saikia at IMDb
- Complete Works of Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia
- Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Children's Welfare Trust Archived 14 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- Reel-life characters make a mark, The Telegraph
- The Gentle Genius is: no more
- Voice of Assam feature â citing The Assam Tribune, 13 August 2006
- www.bhabensaikia.com â Official Website
- 1932 births
- 2003 deaths
- Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Assamese
- Screenwriters from Assam
- University of Calcutta alumni
- Alumni of Imperial College London
- Alumni of the University of London
- People from Nagaon district
- Indian male screenwriters
- Assamese-language film directors
- Academic staff of Gauhati University
- Cotton College, Guwahati alumni
- Recipients of the Assam Valley Literary Award
- 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
- 20th-century Indian novelists
- 20th-century Indian short story writers
- 20th-century Indian people
- Film directors from Assam
- Novelists from Assam
- 20th-century Indian male writers
- Best Original Screenplay National Film Award winners
- 20th-century Indian screenwriters
- Assam Valley Literary Award
- Deaths from cancer in India