A still from Devdas

Guwahati, Oct. 22: When he died in 1951, his obituary referred to him as “Pramathesh Chandra Barua, the creator of Devdas”. After a statewide yearlong birth centenary celebrations of the legend, a documentary on his life, produced by Doordarshan, has received the national award instituted by Prasar Bharti.

Jeevan Shilpi Pramathesh Chandra Baruah, the documentary in Assamese, has its script, planning and music direction by singer, writer and filmmaker, Nikhilesh Barua.

The film features the life and works of P.C. Barua, the pioneer of artificial lighting, realistic films with natural histrionics and a die-hard supporter of workers’ rights in the film studios of the country.

The documentary will be screened at a special function at Rabindra Bhawan here on October 27 as part of his birth centenary celebrations.

Barua’s “Paro” — Pramathesh Barua’s widow Jamuna Barua — will release the first day cover of a commemorative stamp on the legendary filmmaker.

Nikhilesh Barua, a close relative of the filmmaker, said, “PC’s contribution towards Indian cinema remains unparalleled. I have tried to include some exclusive shots of an astounding collection of rare family photographs.”

Born in Gauripur, Assam, the son of the king of Gauripur, Barua graduated in 1924 from Presidency College, Calcutta. He then went to Europe, taking interest in all the arts, including films, and got immersed in the films of Ernst Lubitsch and Rene Clair.

He returned to India and served for a time in the Legislative Council of Assam. But he left for Calcutta and settled there and soon got involved with the film world.

“Barua initiated a style of acting that was natural and unaffected. His method was to underplay, to convey emotion through the slightest tremor of the voice and use significant pauses in between the dialogue to maximum effect,” said Nikhilesh Barua.

The documentary includes comments on his works by noted personalities like former chief minister of Assam, Sarat Chandra Sinha, dramatist Girish Choudhury, filmmaker Padum Barua and elephant expert Parbati Barua.