Roopkar was the first Assamese language, tabloid-sized magazine about Assamese cinema, theater and culture. Established in 1975, the magazine was founded and edited by journalist and humor writer Pabitra Kumar Deka.[1] Advisers of the magazine were famous singer & composer Bhupen Hazarika and writer Nirode Choudhury.
| Editor | Pabitra Kumar Deka |
|---|---|
| Categories | Film Magazine |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Country | India |
| Language | Assamese |
Magazine publishing
editRoopkar was published on a monthly basis.[2] It was the most popular entertainment magazine in the Northeast; it also instituted the first popular film awards Roopkar Awards in Assam in 1975. [3] Many new and young journalists contributed to the magazine, some of whom have made a mark in the field of cinema journalism like Ratna Ozha, Kamal Lochan Das, Shekharjyoti Bhuyan, Arun Lochan Das, Rejek Aji Ahmed, Azim Hazarika, Hemanta Kumar Das, Jibaraj Barman, Utpal Datta, Bidyut Kumar Bhuyan, Sanjib Hazarika, etc. The Kolkata correspondent for the magazine was Nitai Ghosh. The magazine existed till the early nineties. Besides cultural reporting, various renowned writers like Padma Borkotoki, Lakshmi Nandan Bora, Nirode Choudhury, Ratna Oza, Arun Goswami, Udayaditya Bharali, Nitya Bora, Debabrat Das, Dilip Chandan, Satya Ranjan Kalita, Prafulla Kumar Dutta etc. wrote social novels for the magazine. Bhupen Hazarika and Lakshmi Nandan Bora also wrote their famous column Anyamat and Brittor Bahirot respectively for the magazine.
A film critic and a former reporter of the magazine, Utpal Datta, made a short film on Pabitra Kumar Deka titled Bye Lane 2 which got selected in various film festivals including the Indian Panorama Section in the Goa International Film festival in 2014.[4] [5]
Roopkar Award
editThe Roopkar Award was instituted in 2011 in the memory of its founder Pabitra Kumar Deka. It is given yearly to one distinguished personality in the field of stage, cinema and media.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]
Roopkar Award winners
edit- 2011 – Ratna Oza – Writer & Stage director
- 2012 – Tapan Das – Actor, Director & Short story writer
- 2013 – Munin Barua – Film Director & Playwright
- 2014 – Arun Lochan Das – Film Journalist
- 2015 – Sashi Phukan – Publisher & Editor of Bismoi Magazine
- 2016 – Nayan Prasad – Actor & Stage director
- 2017 – Samarendra Narayan Dev – Film & Stage director
- 2018 – Tapan Das – Still Photographer & Founder of PVTI
- 2019 – Jahnu Barua – Film Director
- 2020 – Arun Nath – Film & Stage Actor
- 2021 – Pranjal Saikia – Film & Stage Actor
- 2022 – Mridul Gupta – Film Director
Book publishing
editRoopkar Prakashan, the publisher of the magazine, also published few books such Samipeshu (Dr Nirmalprava Bordoloi), Hoimontika (Pulok Gogoi), Asomor Satuta Dosokar Chalachitra (Pabitra Kumar Deka) etc.
Roopkar Prakashan was revived in the 2020s with the publication of new books like Roopkaror Shrestha Golpo, Kapurusor Taruwal etc.[16]
Books published by Roopkar Prakashan
editFrom 1975 to 1995
- Samipeshu – Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi – Poetry
- Antaranga – Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi – Poetry
- Hoimontika – Pulok Gogoi – Novel
- Asomor Satuta Dosokar Chalachitra – Pabitra Kumar Deka – Cinema
From 2020 to Present
- Mur Satya Anna Sansthanor Kahini – Pabitra Kumar Deka – Humour
- Roopkaror Shrestha Golpo – Collected Stories
- The Big Sleep – Prodyut Kumar Deka – Novel
- Past Revisited – Prantik Deka – Cinema
- Kapurusar Taruwal – Utpal Datta – Novel
100 years of Indian Cinema
editOn the occasion of 100 years of Indian cinema, Roopkar celebrated the occasion by instituting Roopkar Film Festival (RFF), which was held from April 21 to 23, 2013 at the Rudra Barua Auditorium, Jyotichitrabon Complex in Guwahati where the cinematic heritage of the Indian film industry was showcased. Some of the master pieces crafted throughout the century by some of the tallest figures of the fraternity from Satyajt Rays' Nayak to Ramesh Sippy's Sholay were screened. The festival also published a book on cinema edited by Utpal Datta for the occasion. [17]
References
edit- ^ Abdul Gani (31 March 2013). "Roopkar Film Festival to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema". Assam Times. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ^ Vishwanath Bite (February 2015). "Vishwanath Bite in Conversation with Utpal Datta". The Criterion. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ^ Prantik Deka (10 March 2023). "The Iconic Roopkar Film Award 1975". North East Film Journal.
- ^ Sanskriti Pandey. "Highway of success".
- ^ "Noted scribe, writer Pabitra Kr Deka dead". Assam Tribune.
- ^ Apurba Kumar Das (16 January 2018). "Pabitra Kumar Deka Archive and Rupkar Awards". The Assam Tribune.
- ^ Prantik Deka (17 January 2018). "Roopkar awards and Pabitra Kumar Deka Archive". www.kothasobi.com.
- ^ AT News (21 January 2018). "Heaping praise on Pabitra Kr Deka". www.assamtimes.com.
- ^ "'Roopkar Awards 2018 presented'".
- ^ "'Roopkar Awards presented'".
- ^ "'Noted writer-director and prominent photographer presented with Roopkar awards'".
- ^ "'Roopkar Awards Presented'".
- ^ "'Roopkar Awards presented to renowned Filmmaker Jahnu Barua, Actor Arun Nath'".
- ^ "'Roopkar Awards for years 2021 and 2022 presented'".
- ^ "'Roopkar Awards presented to Pranjal Saikia and Mridul Gupta'".
- ^ "'Utpal Datta Unveils Captivating Anthology 'Kapurusar Tarowal' Amidst Acclaim'".
- ^ "'Roopkar Film Festival to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema'".