Guwahati, April 15: His film Dwaar had won four Filmfare awards last year, bringing cheer to the ailing Assamese film industry. This morning, the news of filmmaker Bidyut Chakravarty's death left many in tears.
Chakravarty, 55, suffered a cerebral stroke and passed away at Nemcare Hospital in Bhangagarh here at 7am today. He had been admitted there on March 31 following a urinary infection.
"A script of his new film was ready and he was planning to start shooting when he had to be hospitalised," his niece Birina told The Telegraph at Nabagraha crematorium here, where many actors, musicians and directors, among others, gathered to pay their last tributes.
"I have no words to express my grief. He was my first mentor, guru and a friend who never failed me. He called me just a few weeks ago about his plan to shoot a film in Shimla and Agra," producer and actor Rajni Basumatary wrote on Facebook.
Dwaar, which won four Filmfare awards - best Assamese film, best actor (Kopil Bora), best actress (Zerifa Wahid) and best director - was among his acclaimed films. Nikhiddho Nadi, Anuraag and Goon Goon Gaane Gaane were his other films, which brought home national awards.
"He was my mentor. He was very special to me, more so because of Raag Birag, which received the Golden Lotus award for best film in 1996. He was well-versed with world cinema and brought in a new trend in filmmaking," said actor and theatre artiste Kapil Bora, who made his debut with Goon Goon Gaane Gaane.
Chakravarty began his career as a child actor in the film Mukuta and later moved into theatre, radio and direction.
Singer Jyoti Das, who knew Chakravarty for over 40 years, said, "Bidyut was a talent since childhood. We came in contact through Pragati Silpi Sangha and Surya Club and All India Radio, where I worked."
"He knew how to respect his art, colleagues and elders. He was not only an artiste but a true human soul," the singer said.
"My whole existence in Assamese cinema was defined by him," actress Zerifa Wahid said.
Chakravarty was the founder-member of Surjya Club, a socio-cultural organisation set up in 1985.
From Nemcare Hospital, his body was taken to his Uzan Bazar riverside residence, then to Rabindra Bhawan in Ambari, Surjya Club near Ambari Rotary and finally to the Nabagraha crematorium in the afternoon, where his last rites were performed.
"Apart from being an actor and director both on stage and films, the dynamism and the vision he had was a little different from his era (the eighties). This uniqueness reflects in his films and personality," said Satyakee D'Com Bhuyan, founder-director of theatre group D'Passion Collective and a member of Surjya Club.
Among those who paid tributes to the filmmaker at Surjya Club were Asam Sahitya Sabha president Dhrubajyoti Bora, Sabha general secretary Paramananda Rajbongshi, artistes Mridula Baruah, Malabika Bora, Kapil Bora and many others.
"The news comes as a great loss to Assamese/Indian cinema," film critic Utpal Borpuzary's Facebook post said.
Additional reporting by Saurav Bora
