Guwahati: The All Assam Mobile Theatre Producers' Association will preserve the legacy of Munin Barua, one of the most successful playwrights of the state, in print. This was announced at a programme on Wednesday organised in memory of Barua by the association.

"As a first step, we will publish three plays of Barua, namely Ajan Apon, Sahodor and Xex Bhaonar Bhaoriya. Ajan Apon is the one and only horror play written by Barua. Adapting Sahodor and Xex Bhaonar Bhaoriya, Barua made two hit Assamese films - Daag and Bidhata - respectively," said playwright Abhijit Bhattacharya, a member of the association.

Bhattacharya said the association has started collecting copies of the plays and will publish those accordingly. The copies of the plays are withering away and so is the ink. "So, we have to do the work very carefully," Bhattacharya said.

Barua first penned a play, Ghar, in the eighties for Hengool Theatre. He continued to write till his health deteriorated. Barua, who was also a successful screenplay writer-cum-filmmaker of Assam, wrote 95 plays, for various mobile theatre groups along with more then 50 scripts for film and television.

On Wednesday, senior mobile theatre producers such as Krishna Roy, Nazrul Islam, playwrights Abatar Singh, Dhruba Jyoti Sarma along with a number of theatre and film personalities recalled Barua's contribution.

"I am grateful to have worked with him. He was a person who got success in both film and theatre. Fortunately, I got the national honour through him," Krishna Roy, who in association with Gopal Jalan, produced Dinabandhu and received the National Award for best feature film in Assamese in 2005.

Association ultimatum

The association gave the producer of Rajashree Theatre, one of the mobile theatre groups of the state, 12 days to pay their dues.

"Today, artistes and producer of Rajashree Theatre sat with us for a tripartite meet to resolve the pay dispute. The producer assured us that he would clear the dues within 12 days," Bhattacharya said.