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 faced the mighty West Indies at Nehru Stadium on December 17, 1983.

“Sir was very close to us. Working with him was a nice experience. He never forgot to wish us on every occasion in our lives. We learnt a lot by working under him,” Bhabesh, a member of the ground staff at Nehru Stadium, remembered his superior on Monday after paying his tributes with tearful eyes.

“Last night, he suddenly had problems after having dinner, and he left us before we could do anything,” said a close aide of Baruah. He left behind his wife Dipali Baruah, a son and a couple of grandchildren.

From childhood he was attracted towards the game of cricket and used to follow it passionately till his last breath.

“The game taught me the lessons of life, and I will always be in debt to cricket for what I’m today. It taught me to be disciplined in life and to face the challenges with a cool mind,” Baruah had told this correspondent in a chat a few months back.

He used to cut the uneven fields to play cricket during his childhood days at Shillong, and those activities drew him towards the job.

During his college days, he went all the way to Kolkata, Kanpur and several other venues to watch test matches, and used to talk to the people involved with pitch and ground preparations.

Dr Baruah with BCCI pitch committee chairman Daljit Singh during the later's visit to Guwahati. Pic: Dasarath Deka 

“Once Krishti Bikash Sangha of Guwahati organised a friendly cricket match between film stars and cricketers featuring several big names, including Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, and I was involved in preparing the pitch of that match. That was the first cricket pitch I prepared in my career with the help of veteran Badal Thakur,” he had said.

Then he got the opportunity to prepare pitch for the India-West Indies match. After that no-looking back as he prepared the wicket for all the 16 matches played at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati. Besides, he also prepared the wicket for Ranji and Duleep Trophy matches. He was also invited for several national seminars at various places in the country.

Born in Shillong in 1942, Baruah was awarded with PhD by Gauhati University for his research on “Certain problems of Fertility among Khasi Women of Meghalaya”. Besides cricket, he also worked in several fields of academics and retired as assistant director, Directorate of Census. He also wrote several books on sports. He was also associated with Dibrugarh University, and was the academic director at the Assam Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research at Guwahati.

Meanwhile, cricketing fraternity of the state, both past and present, have expressed grief and shock at the demise of Baruah.

“It is a big loss for Assam cricket. We have lost one of the best curators of the country. It will be a tasking time for the state to fill the void as there is hardly anyone of his caliber. He was very dedicated and his passion for the game pegged him to carry on with his job till such an advanced age. Whenever we sought for a pitch to suit our game plan, I don’t remember him saying no at any stage. His experience in pitch curating will be always missed,” said former Ranji player Gautam Dutta. Senior curator Badal Thakur recalled his association with Baruah saying that his passion for the game drove him towards pitch curating.

“There was time when I used to prepare the wicket in the Nehru Stadium and that was when I took him along with me. He adapted very nicely to the new techniques of pitch preparation. I don’t think anyone in the state stands to his stature to prepare pitches for the international standard today. I don’t know to what extent he played as a cricketer but certainly his passion for the game could be seen in his work. He will be missed in a big way by Assam cricket,” recalled Thakur.

Another ex-ranji player Javed Zaman attributed the development of cricket to the highly-rated curator. “I was in a state of shock when I heard about it this morning. Just two days back I had a long conversation with him at the stadium regarding the wicket at the Barsapara stadium,” stated Zaman.

Ratul Das, present curator in the BCCI’s zonal curators’ panel lamented on the demise of his colleague. “We worked together for a long time and shared a very good relationship. He will be missed by the cricketing fraternity.” Das remarked.

“It is a great loss for Assam cricket and Sir was always there for us whenever we needed him any assistance from him regarding the pitch. His service for Assam cricket is unforgettable and whether he can ever be replaced,” said Gokul Sarma, an Assam Ranji player. The Assam Cricket Association (ACA), Ankurjyoti Club of which he was the former president, Assam Sports Journalists’ Welfare Association (ASJWA) have also condoled the demise of Sunil Kumar Baruah. (Seven Sisters Post)

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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 interesting. I’m thankful that it is received well by the viewers. I feel the Indian viewers, too, should watch it,” Adil told Seven Sisters Post from New Jersey on phone.

In Lessons in Forgetting, Adil plays a single father, J A Krishnamurthy or JAK, as he is fondly called. The story revolves around JAK and his relentless trail to find out how his teenage daughter, Smriti, played by debutante Maya Tideman, ends up on a hospital bed, almost dead. Helping JAK in his chase is a single mother Meera, played by Roshni Achreja, who is unable to make sense of her husband’s callousness; he walks out of their marriage, out of the blue, leaving her alone to bring up their two growing children and take care of her aging mother and grandmother, all on her own.

“It is JAK’s desperate attempt to unveil a gruesome incident affecting his daughter and his need for redemption that takes both Meera and him through a rocky trail that turns his life upside down. In the event, it gives JAK a peek into his daughter’s world,” Adil said of his character.

The subplot, subtly touches the subject of female foeticide and how fiercely guarded the issue is. The film is based on a novel by Anita Nair with the same name. The script is also written by her. “It’s a great thing to happen to the film and the entire team. But it’s Adil who made the film come alive,” Nair told Seven Sisters Post.

After collecting rave reviews for his role in English Vinglish, Adil will be seen in a meaty role in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera which also features Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha. Besides, he will be seen playing a more dramatic role of Mustafa Fazil in Meera Nair’s Reluctant Fundamentalist.

His another highprofile project Life of Pi, directed by Oscar winner and Hollywood director Ang Lee , is slated for November release. Dedicated to South Asian independent films, the NJISACF first started in 2007.

The annual festival is produced by the Asian American Film and Theatre Project, a US based non-profit organisation committed to promotion, production and exhibition of film and theatre works that reflect the diverse experiences of the South Asian Diaspora across the globe. (Seven Sisters Post)

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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 and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, released in India, we carried out an informal survey among 200 youths in the city to know whether they heard of Mayong. We were shocked, most of them had not,” he said.

This prompted Borpujari and a host of youngsters to come out with a film on the small cluster of villages in Morigaon district of Assam and the age-old practices and legends associated with black magic in the area. The result was Mayong: Myth/Reality, a 53minute documentary, which traces the cultural and historical elements of the area widely neglected so far in spite of being so rich in folklore.

“It also highlights the ancient manuscripts, books and tantric images in a bid to evoke the mind of researchers or even common tourists to visit the place,” explained Borpujari. “We got involved in a mission to explore Mayong visually – to see whether all those myths about black magic were just those or otherwise, and why despite its legendary status in Assamese folklore, the place remains largely unknown, and what locals think about their magical heritage,” he added.

“The irony is that most people with whom we interacted have travelled to Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary more than once, without knowing that they have travelled through Mayong. So, it was very important to throw light on the region,” said Borpujari, who is a member of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and has served as a jury member in several leading international film festivals.

It is believed that the elements which have not been touched so far will be helpful for the research scholars. The documentary has tried to depict all these, said Borpujari. The documentary is being produced by Jayanta Goswami under the banner of Darpan Cine Production.

While the cinematographer is Biswajeet Changmai, the film has been edited by Parveen Sharma. The music has been composed by Anuraag Saikia and the narration has been done by Robin Kalita. Now the director is hoping to screen the film in film festivals in India and abroad before releasing it on DVD. (Seven Sisters Post)

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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 Sanjay Ghose in 1997, a brave step has been taken to raise the issue once again by Kotoky.

It was a difficult task to make a host of Bollywood actors deliver dialogues in Assamese, but Kotoky managed to do it in a commendable manner. Sanjay Suri depicted the character of Abhijit, a journalist who comes from Mumbai in search of Sridhar Ranjan who has been missing in the island. Despite Suri being in the lead role, it’s Raj Zutshi who stole the limelight with his brilliant work. Zutshi played the role of Jayanta Doley, a surrendered militant turned peace activist.

Veteran actor Victor Banerjee as a strife-ridden grandfather was better than average. However, Abhijit’s guide Sudakshina, played by young Bidita Bag, needed a bit more effort to smoothen her Assamese accent. 

Otherwise, she looked natural as a village girl. Her brother Jyotiraj who is a part of the insurgent group, played by Nakul Vaid, and Naved Aslam, who played the character of Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sameer Agarwal, were able to do justice to the characters.

Another big name associated with the film is four-time National Award-winning cinematographer Madhu Ambat, while sound recording was taken care of by Nakul Kamte, who has two National Awards under his belt. Rajesh Parmar, winner of two National Awards, was in charge of editing.

Music was given by Zubeen Garg. If you believe that cinema is more than a mere source of entertainment, ‘Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xipare’ is a must-watch for you. (Seven Sisters Post)

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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 Deka of Grubshup, who organised the event on Sunday, told Seven Sisters Post.

Pune-based theatre artiste Ojas S V adapted Malayalam playwright Civic Chandran’s drama Meira Paibi (Women torch-bearers of Manipur) in La Mashale to get the urban audience hooked onto the life of Manipur’s “Iron Lady”. Ojas has already performed the 40-minute-long soliloquy on stage several times across the country in the last couple of years. She says her objective is to bring people closer to the heroic life of Sharmila and to throw light on cases of human rights violation in Manipur.

The play, which is powered by poetry written by Sharmila herself, anecdotes from her life and the traditional folk stories of Manipur, tries to recreate the horrifying circumstances which made the 39-year-old civil rights activist sit on an indefinite hunger strike to protest against the ‘draconian’ Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

“With the recent events in and about the Northeast, we feel really saddened but more resolved to do our best to continue to spread awareness about the region. I think more such events will make people aware about our region,” Deka further said.

Besides, a couple of prominent personalities from the Northeast also discussed the current issues with the people present on the occasion. Senior scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Dr Haladhar Dev Sarma and Giridhar Mahanta, one of the senior-most officers in the Assam government, were present on the occasion to share their view on the prevailing situation in Assam.

“It should be solved politically. Gradually the people have started feeling insecure. The movements too have failed to fetch results so it’s the time to address the core issue which is the influx of illegal Bangladesi nations,” Sarma said.

He also urged all the political parties to keep their personal agendas aside and focus on the common problem of the state.

On the other hand, Mahanta said that to solve the p re-independence issue — influx — public awareness is quite important. “Corruption too has played a major role in creating more problems in Assam,” he said.

In the 1980s, Dr Haladhar Dev Sarma was in the governing body of the All Assam Students’ Union (Aasu) leading the students’ movement against illegal immigration. Around the same time, Giridhar Mahanta was a senior Assam government official. (Seven Sisters Post)

http://sevensisterspost.com/pune-sheds-light-ne-burning-issues/

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The bard’s voice flows with the Red River

Abdul Gani

Guwahati: I know, long ago/ the River used to speak/ but when he realised/ every drop of pain/ flows above horizon of words/ he surrendered to silence…”

The voice of the River is the “voice” of Bhupen Hazarika — the “baritone communicative” voice of the legendary balladeer. It is also the voice of Assam. A voice speaking out to the world from the silver screen. Cultural icon Bhupen Hazarika’s last recorded voice will finally reach his countless fans across the world when national award-winning director Bidyut Kotoky’s debut feature film Ekhon Nedekha Nodir Xipare is released on September 14.

Sanjay Suri and Victor Banerjee

The film — titled As River Flows in English — has a poem recited by an ailing Bhupen Hazarika in February 2010, a year before he passed away on November 5, 2011 in Mumbai. The poem represents the voice of the river Brahmaputra through the balladeer’s own. “Baritone communicative” was the term used by Russian leader Joseph Stalin to describe the voice of American singer Paul Robeson.

Significantly, the much talked film was inspired by Sanjay Ghosh, an activist who was kidnapped and later killed by Ulfa rebels in 1997 in Majuli. Even before its release, the film grabbed national headlines because of a controversy at the national film awards. The jury members had rejected the film from the awards on the grounds that it was not an Assamese film though the censor certificate clearly indicates it to be one.

“This film has come from the core of my heart and I would be happy if people like it. Viewers will decide about the outcome of my hard work and they will decide whether it’s an Assamese film or not,” said the Mumbai-based director, Kotoky.

The director, who was closely associated with Bhupen Hazarika, is on seventh heaven for having the icon’s voice in the film. “I could not have asked for anything more. Since my childhood I had the desire to work with Bhupen mama. But when I was making the film he was not in a position to direct the music of my film because of his ill-health. But when I visited him with the piece of poetry, he reacted positively. I was lucky enough that he lent his voice,” an emotional Kotoky said. He added, “Who could be a better voice to represent the river than Bhupen mama?”

The film —also made in Hindi —features the same set of acclaimed actors like Victor Banerjee and Sanjay Suri in the leading roles besides Bidita Bag, Raj Zutshi, Nakul Baid and Naveed Aslam.

Preeti Jhangiani and Zubeen Garg, who is also the music director of the film, also appear in cameo roles in the Hindi version. The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), the producing agency of the film, said that the Hindi version too would be released soon. The film traces the story of a missing character — Sridhar Ranjan — in Majuli and his friend’s search for Sridhar. Sanjay Suri is playing a journalist who comes to Majuli to find information of his missing friend.

“I wanted to portray the situation of almost 90 per cent of the people who are stuck in between a conflict zone. Because their voice is never heard outside. Here Sridhar is a metaphor and he can be anybody. I do not know to what extent I would be successful. It’s up to the viewers,” Kotoky further said.

Besides, several renowned names are involved in the film including national award-winning cinematographer Madhu Ambat. Earlier this month, the cultural affairs department of the Maharashtra government organised a special screening of the film to mark the occasion of Bhupen Hazarika’s birth anniversary. Moreover, the film got an overwhelming response from global viewers at the Osian Cinefest film festival held in New Delhi. (Seven Sisters Post)
http://sevensisterspost.com/the-bards-voice-flows-with-the-red-river/

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Age has not withered Lalit Chandra Ojha, nor life of tribulations

Abdul Gani

Guwahati: He gave up everything in life for the sake of Sukananni Ojapali, a folk dance drama of Assam. His life-long devotion enabled the dance drama survive the test of time. Now, at the age of 90, Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Lalit Chandra Nath Ojha is hopeful of seeing the dance drama going global. And he is ready to go to any extent to make it a reality.

Lalit Chandra Nath Ojha is honoured along with his wife in Guwahati. Photo: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee

Here, noted filmmaker Prabin Hazarika and senior journalist Manoj Kumar Nath tried to make his efforts known to all via a documentary film – Haate Mudra Mukhe Pod Mayursodrix Nach (Lyrics with Body and Soul).

The 64-minute documentary traces the struggles of the veteran exponent of the folk form of dance drama, which is an integral part of Darrang district.

“With globalisation, we seem to have forgotten our own identity. It is a crisis situation, and we need to rethink this. We have tried a bit in this regard,” said Prabin Hazarika, who has directed the documentary.

Born to a poor family of Sipajhar in Drrang district in 1923, Ojha was always drawn towards this folk form whenever he saw it in his neighbourhood. He lost his father at a very young age and saw his mother struggling hard to meet ends. He grew up seeing the tears of his mother and brothers. “But nothing could separate him from his first love. He went to the neighbourhood agriculture fields to earn livelihood, but amidst the penury he learnt the craft of Sukananni Ojapali,” said Akhim Kumar Nath, assistant director and researcher of the documentary.

In spite of all the hardship in life, he continued to spread the form of dance drama at various places. He also performed in New Delhi in front of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Those moments encouraged him to go for the cause, as Ojha is seen saying in the documentary. His effort was recognised at the national level twice – in 1983 he was awarded the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award and again in 2012 the same organisation honoured him with the Rabindranath Tagore award. But unfortunately, the state government so far has not done anything remarkable to encourage him.

“It’s unfortunate. But he never hankers after money, fame or anything,” said the assistant director. The veteran dance exponent, who was present during the screening of the documentary here on Sunday, is hopeful that such efforts would help in spreading the awareness about the dance form. “It hurts to see the youngsters giving more importance to materialism,” he rued. “I’m always hopeful to see it going global. Whatever has happened is because of people. I’m just an illiterate Ojha. I do it because I just love doing it,” he said.

At this age, he has even started his own teaching centre at his home with support from the Sangeet Natak Akademi. (Seven Sisters Post)

http://sevensisterspost.com/age-withered-lalit-chandra-ojha-life-tribulations/

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