As Assam prepares for the grand finale of Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s birth centenary celebrations next month, a new documentary by National Award-winning filmmaker Utpal Borpujari turns attention to a defining strand of the legendary artist’s creative legacy – the deep sense of humanity, social responsibility, and concern for justice that ran through many of his songs.
Titled ‘Manuhar Gaan’, the 82-minute documentary explores Dr Hazarika’s engagement with social inequality, injustice, and some of the major social and historical developments of his time, presenting his music not merely as artistic expression but also as a voice that consistently responded to the world around him. The documentary seeks to introduce audiences beyond Assam and Bengal to the breadth of Dr Hazarika’s social and socio-political engagement as an artist.
According to Borpujari, the film is also a centenary-year tribute to the humanist within Dr Hazarika – an artist whose repertoire embraced love, nature, the changing seasons of Assam, and the everyday lives and struggles of people. ‘This is our tribute to the humanist that Dr Hazarika was. From songs of love to songs celebrating the seasons of Assam, he wrote and sang on a wide range of subjects. However, the social responsibility that he consciously practised throughout his life is what has established him as one of India’s most significant artists of all time,’ Borpujari said.
The documentary features the late Dr Dilip Kumar Datta, author of Bhupen Hazarikar Geet Aru Jiwan Rath; Dr Hazarika’s late sister Sudakshina Sarma; and his late nephew Hrishiraj Sarma. It also includes the late Ratna Ojah, a close associate of Dr Hazarika, and his long-time musical associates Kamal Kataki and Rupam Talukdar. The film reaches beyond established cultural voices to include grassroots singers such as Manik Chandra Bordoloi of Boko and Molan Gogoi of Dhalpur village near North Lakhimpur.
Produced by Dolly Borpujari, Prabhat Chandra Borpujari, and Abhijit Bhuyan under the banner of 92X26 Films, ‘Manuhar Gaan’ has itself had a long journey to completion. The documentary took eight years to make, with the project facing funding difficulties, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The makers plan to make portions of the unused footage available in the future, particularly for those interested in studying Dr Hazarika’s life, music, and ideas.
As Assam celebrates a century since the birth of the Bard of the Brahmaputra, ‘Manuhar Gaan’ looks beyond the familiar melodies to the conscience embedded within them – revisiting the songs through which Dr Hazarika spoke of people, inequality, dignity, and justice, and the enduring hum of humanity that continues to give those songs meaning.
