Dr Bhupen Hazarika awarded for lifetime achievment

Guwahati, Sept 16 (UNI) The Assam State Film Award Festival '07 concluded yesterday evening with the presenting of the awards for Assamese films released between April 2004 to December 2006.

The Festival, which began on September 7 last with the screening of the famous Assamese film 'Chameli Memsaab', is a part of the attempt of the state government to revive the sagging film industry in the state.

Music icon of the state Dr Bhupen Hazarika was awarded the Pramatesh Barua Award for Lifetime Achievement, while veteran actress Gyanada Kakoti won the jury special Bishnu Rabha Award.

Arup Manna's 'Aideu', based on the life of first Assamese actress Aideu Handique who played the title role in the first Assamese film 'Joymoti', was awarded the Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla Award for best picture for 2004-06.

Bidyut Chakraborty won the best director's award for 'Anurag', while the best actor and actress awards were picked up by Dipak Bhuyan for 'Astarag' and Chandana Sharma for 'Aideu' respectively.

Altogether 28 awards, instituted to commemorate masters of the respective fields related to cinema in the state, were given away at the glittering function, attended by noted actor Asrani as the chief guest.

In awards given in the other categories for 2004-06, the award for the best actor in a negative role went to Bhargav Kotoky for 'Sixth Day of Creation', best actor in comic role to Dr Rajen Jaiswal for 'Senai Mur Dhulia', best child artist to Debangajyoti Kalita for 'Snehabandhan' and best music to Biva Bhattacharjya for 'Sixth day of Creation'.

Along with the awards for the entire period, separate winners for 2004, 2005 and 2006 were also chosen and awarded in yesterday's function.

For 2004, the best picture award was won by Deepa Bhattacharjya's 'Sixth day of Creation', for 2005, 'Snehabandhan' and for 2006, Sanjib Sabhapandit's 'Jatinga Etyadi'.

Best directors, actors, music directors and a host of other awards were also given away for the respective years.

The award function was attended by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Cultural Affairs Minister Gautam Bora and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain, among others.

Revived after a gap of seven years, the film award festival was held in 2005 and it was made a biennial function since then. Awards were given away in three broad categories, feature film, short film and documentary, with an expert jury deciding the winners.

A number of critically acclaimed films from the state were also screened in two cinema halls of the city during the festival.

UNI