Pankaj Nath, Assam , 10 September : The Kolkata Assamese Cultural Association, under the aegis of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam, organized a three-day celebration in Kolkata on 5, 6 and 8 September 2026 to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of legendary singer-songwriter, filmmaker and cultural icon Bhupen Hazarika.The festivities began on 5 September at a Mukundapur theatre with the screening of the documentary Bhupen Da Uncut, directed by Bobeeta Sharma. The film, which includes candid conversations recorded in London about 25 years ago, was inaugurated by noted musician Bickram Ghosh, actress Jaya Seal and writer Navamalati Neog in the presence of director Bobeeta Sharma and producer Chinmoy Sharma.On 6 September, a cultural programme at Assam Bhawan, Salt Lake, was inaugurated by Dr. Sharadwat Mukherjee, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal; Dr. B. Kalyan Chakravarthy, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam; Avneet Punia, Director of Information, Government of West Bengal; Rahul Chandra Das, Director, Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam; Ranadeep Dam, Joint Resident Commissioner, Assam Bhawan Kolkata; and Dr. Khanindra Pathak, President, Kolkata Assamese Cultural Association.Guest speaker Sheikh Makbul Islam, a West Bengal-based professor and scholar noted for his research on folk literature and Bhupen Hazarika, spoke about the bard’s creative legacy and public persona. Musical and dance presentations followed: the Prayash Group led by Mona Banerjee performed soulful renditions of Hazarika’s songs; teenage singer Kanushee Baruah offered performances in Assamese, Hindi and Bengali; and Bengali singer Mithun Dhar recalled personal memories while performing songs associated with Hazarika.Dance segments included a kathak piece by Oishanee Dutta Roy set to Bhupendra sangeet, and a fusion group performance by Odissi and folk dancer Urmimala Sengupta (West Bengal) with classical jazz, ballet and kathak artist Prasanna Saikia (Assam), symbolizing cultural harmony between Bengal and Assam. Members of the Kolkata Assamese Cultural Association staged a short musical drama combining dance, recitation and songs based on Hazarika’s poetry and writings. The evening closed with a performance by National Award–winning singer-composer Tarali Sarma, who rendered several evergreen classics.Also on 6 September, Dr. Sharadwat Mukherjee launched the second edition of the 15th issue of the trilingual yearly magazine Sristi, published by the Kolkata Assamese Cultural Association; the centenary-themed issue is edited by Dr. Jyotish Payeng.On 8 September, a tribute was held at Bhupen Hazarika’s former residence in Tollygunge. Tollygunge MLA Papia Adhikari and educationist-social activist Dr. Saikat Bakshi joined members of the local community and greater Kolkata in lighting 100 earthen lamps to mark the centenary. A mime presentation by Nirbaak, led by Minangka Deka, was staged, and the gathering joined in singing Hazarika’s timeless songs at the place where he spent formative years of his creative life.The three-day celebration in Kolkata honored Bhupen Hazarika’s enduring message of humanity, communal amity and cultural unity, and underscored his role in introducing Assamese and Northeast folk traditions to a national audience.
