Suprabha Devi

Guwahati, June 14: Suprabha Devi, the first Assamese woman film director, passed away at 7.40am today at a private nursing home here.

She was 73.

She is survived by three sons, two daughters-in-law and three grandsons.

On June 3, Suprabha Devi was admitted to the International Hospital. She had been suffering from chronic kidney problems.

She was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for observation on June 10 following a heart attack.

Daughter of Jogendra Kumar Rajkhowa and Swarnaprabha Rajkhowa, Suprabha Devi was born on December 24 in 1938 at Digboi in Upper Assam.

Her father was an employee of the Assam Oil Company.

She participated actively in sport and music during her school and college days and brought success and glory to her educational institutions.

After her marriage with late Dwijendra Narayan Dev of the Beltola royal family of Guwahati, she was involved with her husband in the production and distribution of several superhit commercial Assamese films and produced Jog Biyog (1970), Toramai (1972), Moromi (1976), Rangdhali (1979).

With Nayanmoni (1984), she became the first Assamese woman director for which she was awarded the prestigious Silpi Diwas Award in 1985.

“She was a very good director. Although the condition of the Assamese film industry was not very good, some women like Manju Borah have successfully followed her path,” said film critic Arun Lochan Das.

A lyricist of repute and a lover of good Assamese folk music, Suprabha Devi worked with late Nirmalprabha Bordoloi, late D’bon Baruah and Ramen Baruah to improve the typical Bihu tunes and lyrics for songs in her films, churning out many evergreen songs.

Later on, on an experimental basis and with strong determination, she touched upon the simplicity of Assamese folk tales and selected the most popular Assamese folktale — Sarabjaan, written by Rasaraaj Lakhshminath Bezbaruah — and produced-directed a full-length feature film, Sarabjan, in 1986. late Hiren Choudhary of Tezpur jointly directed the film.

Suprabha Devi’s contribution to Assamese films as a producer-director is unparalleled. A good entertainer with record box office success, her simple thematic stories enthralled cine-goers.

“With her demise, a chapter in the Assamese film comes to an end,” said film director Pulok Gogoi.

Off screen, her straightforwardness and simplicity towards artists and technicians was loved by one and all.

After the arrival of video and TV, she appeared in TV programmes through Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati and produced and directed several documentaries and popular TV serials.

Suprabha Devi’s energetic involvement in films and television has set a new horizon and is an inspiration for many young and upcoming talents.