Homegrown star’s homecoming

Adil Hussain needs no introduction as he has been able to book a sizeable space of his own in the world of acting — be it theatre or cinema. In addition to winning the best actor award in the New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Festival (NJISACF) for Lessons in Forgetting, he has the rare honour of featuring in three films, including Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Ang Lee’s Life Of Pi, which were screened at the International Film Festival of India in Goa, including the opening and closing film. A scene from his latest Assamese film Sringkhal with co-actor Badal Das. Pix: Abdul Gani The actor, who is the face of the...

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Lethal games of hide and seek

Abdul Gani Photojournalist Altaf Qadri recounts his tale of survival amidst military strikes of Gaddafi loyalists, defensive rebel gun-showers and unfeeling NATO airstrikes Altaf Qadri during one of his assignments abroad. The infighting in Libya between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government has seen several journalists being kidnapped and killed since 2011. One of the luckiest survivors was award-winning Associated Press photo journalist Altaf Qadri of Jammu & Kashmir who was reported missing on April 9 in 2011 while covering the civil war leaving all his fellow journalists and...

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Saraighat completes 50 glorious years

Abdul Gani Guwahati: It was an emotional yet proud evening for these gentlemen who cherished the hard labour they put into creating a milestone in the history of the country. Meet Swarn Singh and his colleagues as they stood on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra with the gorgeous Saraighat bridge in front of them which completed 50 glorious years of its service to the people of India, on Tuesday. Assam Chief minister deliver lecture near the bridge. Pic: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee “It is a lifetime achievement. We are proud of what we have done. We can confidently say that it will serve another 100 and more years without any trouble,”...

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Bard has bigger fan-following in Bengal: Lyricist

Abdul Gani Guwahati: Legendary singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika never had a dearth of listeners but his image surpassed popular imagination in neighbouring West Bengal, claimed noted Bengali lyricist Mintu Mukherjee. The veteran musician, who is credited with translating the bard’s songs in Bengali, was in Guwahati to pay tribute to Bhupenda on his first death anniversary on Monday. “Jekhane phul phute/ seikhane baroder gondhoke ghrina kora ek mon/ sei bidrohi mon take jatio smoron/dite hobe tar dam/ shardha bhalobasai dilam pronam,” the lines came out spontaneously, as Mukherjee sat on the courtyard of the balladeer’s residence in Nizarapar...

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Dekas of Sonapur grow money on trees, encourage others to follow suit

Abdul Gani Sonapur : If somebody had said that money doesn’t grow on trees, you will say he must be lying – after you meet Hareswar Deka of Upper Tepesia village in Sonapur area, some 35 km from Guwahati, in Kamrup district. A retired state government official, Deka has proved by dint of his intelligence and hard work that money indeed grows on trees. And his money now grows on his rubber trees. Hareswar Deka at his plantation. Pic: Abdul Gani Deka has set an example how economic progress can be achieved in rural areas of the state through rubber plantations in a systematic way. “I’m quite satisfied now with the money I’m...

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Pothorughat saga now brought before the world

Abdul Gani Guwahati: The only book in English on the historic peasants’ rebellion at Pothorughat in Darrang district in which as many as 140 peasants belonging to Hindu and Muslim community laid their lives for the sake of their country has finally found its place in the Library of Congress in America. “It’s great news for all of us. It really meant a lot for us because the sacrifice made by our forefathers never got recognition the way it should have. Now the people in the world will come to know about it in detail,” said Bhargab Kumar Das, a member of Organising Committee for the National Level Seminar on the Pothorughat uprising...

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Father of Nehru Stadium pitch no more

Abdul Gani/Kausav Baruah Guwahati: The grass on Nehru Stadium in Guwahati wept silently on Monday as their mentor bade his final goodbye, putting an end to his three-decade-long affair with them. Even the soil and workers at the pitch will miss him. A  glorious chapter in the field of sports in Assam came to an end on Sunday when one of the senior-most and renowned pitch curators of the country, Sunil Kumar Baruah, left for his heavenly abode at the age of 70. Dr Sunil Kr Baruah with BCCI pitch committee chairman Daljit Singh and other workers. Pic: Dasarath Deka Their relations had started three decades ago when Team India...

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Adil picks up best actor award in US fest

Abdul Gani Guwahati: This one couldn’t have come at a better time! Very much in news for his latest release English Vinglish, Adil Hussain has added one more international accolade to his trophy mantle — the best actor award in New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Festival (NJISACF). Hussain picked the best actor award on Tuesday for his role as JA Krishnamurthy in Unni Vijayan’s Lessons in Forgetting. “It means a lot to me… Because the film is based on a very serious social issue of female foeticide. It’s a great pleasure to play JAK’s role. It would have been a typical boring character, but was directed very well to make it...

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Film documents Mayong’s magical history

Abdul Gani Guwahati: An average youngster in the capital city of Assam may have made his umpteenth trip to Pobitora, just about 50 km from Guwahati and famed for its thick one-horned rhino population, but ask him about Mayong – chances are that he may not have even heard of the small village with an alluring history of magic and sorcery, albeit the fact that he has to travel through the area to reach the wildlife sanctuary. Or at least Utpal Borpujari, a national-award winning film critic, would have us believe when he carried out an informal survey among 200 youths in Guwahati in 2011. “On July 15 last year, the day Harry Potter...

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Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xipare: An honest attempt to tell the truth

Abdul Gani Finally there is an honest attempt to deal with a subject which not many people here in Assam wish to talk about. Through the film ‘Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xipare’, which released last week, debutant director Bidyut Kotoky has taken viewers to Majuli, the troubled island in the river Brahmaputra. Over a course of 90 minutes, the director has convincingly portrayed the trauma of the people of Majuli, which once enjoyed the status of being the world’s largest river island. From flood erosion to insurgency, the inhabitants of Majuli have suffered a lot. Inspired by the ‘unfortunate’ incident of kidnap and murder of social activist...

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Pune sheds light on NE burning issues

Abdul Gani Guwahati: Far away from the killing fields of the Bodo heartland and volatile valleys of Manipur, a one-act play staged at Pune has evoked keen interest and discussions on Northeast’s troubled times. On Sunday, people in Pune were discussing Northeast and Assam as a one-act play on the life and struggles of “Iron Lady” Irom Sharmila was staged.  The poster of the play  Besides, noted scholars discussed the current situation prevailing in Assam in a bid to find a solution. “We are very proud and absolutely thankful to Ojas SV for her generosity and love for performing her acclaimed one-act play La Mashale,” Diganta...

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