A SLICE OF HISTORY:

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Page 12 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

CMYK Starting with children's Akoni'r best to host his everlasting guests. Mel,Ma got more involved with All Our brother Konbhaity (Samar India Radio Guwahati-Shillong. She Hazarika) came when Bhupenda was CMYK narrated stories of her radio experi- filming Loti Ghoti at the ences, including women's Aidew famousIndrapuri studio. Kon had Buloni and radio plays during the grown up to be a good-looking tenure of station director Ubedul Latif teenager and I encouraged him to act Baruah."It was around that time in in the film. He ended up playing a 1962 that I moved to Calcutta, gangster along with Munni (Bidya Bhupenda's house. Bhupenda set me Rao's) brother Chiku. Apart from our up in the only other bedroom next to house, Film Service was a regular hisfamous semicircularcorner room hangout since Bhupenda often edited and helped me enroll for a Library there. I would regularly join the addas Science course at Calcutta University. after my university classes at home or Since I was familiar with the house in the studio.", says Mawith a guilty and the people around, I felt at home expression conveying that studies immediately,"Ma said. were not her highest priority at that I also remember Bhupenmama's time. place distinctly. Especially his Rubymahi (Stuty Patel) married library stacked with books next to the Kailasuncle in 1965 in Guwahati living room full of awards and his "The Madhusayanika team saw them balcony overlooking the lane, the off at Guwahati airport. Our brothers armchair in his dining room where he Nripen and Balen Hazarika accompa- used to sit for hours and write songs nied them toCalcutta where Kavita Baruah (Rose) checking Bhupenda’s letterbox at his 77B Golf Club Road residence in loose sheets, read newspapers and Bhupenda and I joined to bid them to share the memories of my mother Doordarshan) for the recording with talk on the phone kept next to it. farewell. They were moving to in Kolkata and her time with her Iladi. Satyen Chatterjee was our brother, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. recordist. Ravi Shankar was recording "I remember my first flight from in the adjacent section of the studio. I Guwahati to Calcutta. The fare was remember being very nervous, but the around Rs 75 and it was a small recordingwent well. Indian Airlines plane. Bhupenda's The rest of my stay was eventful wife Priyam and son Tej were with as I got involved with various pro- him. Priyambou's brother Kailasbhai duction activities. The evenings were was also there. He was studying at filled with hours of adda (chitchat) Jadavpur university. 77B was a full and visits to Victoria Memorial park house. Bhupenda had asked me to for kulfi and restaurants in Park Street come and record the duet Prothomo or China Town. It was 1961. I was Prohore Ratri with the famous Ila then twenty-one", recalled Ma with Bose for his film Sakuntala. nostalgia. Shashanka Shome was managing "Bhupenda was working on Bhupenda's affairs. Our brother Rana numerous projects. We used to travel (Jayanta Hazarika) used to visit often to Kolkata often to help him. During to perform with Bhupenda on his one of my trips, Kailasbhai flew back concerts and recordings. He was with me to Guwahati to visit our gifted. He played many instruments family. That was when he first met Crew of ‘Chik Mik Bijuli’. Kavita Baruah (Rose) is seen on the extreme left

Adjacent was his small balcony where Uganda.Our brother Prabinda was we kept a Parot and three Pigeons and also working there." recalled Ma. feed them often. The dining table Madhusayanikawas a significant wasbeside the big old fridge where he socio-cultural organization of Assam used to sit with his legs crossed on in the sixties. Ma was a cofounder the chair peeling his favorite along with Balenmama, Rubymahi, alphonso mangoes delicately after Dudulaunty (Aldina's mother), dinners. Bhutuuncle (Khagen Dutta Baruah, "I met a whole lot of people my friend Bhaskar's father), related from the world of art and Ambikauncle, Zulumama, Kalyan culture who spent time with Baruah, Anil Baruah and Sachin Bhupenda. They include people like Baruahand a few others. OC Ganguly, Pahari Sanyal, Anil "Madhusayanika and Indian People Chatterjee, Tarun Kumar, Aparna Sen, Theatres Association (IPTA) were Dilip Mukherjee, Ruma important platforms for me culturally Guhothakurta, Hemango Biswas, and socially" says Ma. Utpal Dutta, Aparesh Lahiri, Basuri "Bhupenda was Lahiri,Jahar Rai, Nipoti Chatterjee, filmingPratidhyoni. Though it was Satinath Mukherjee, Utpala Sen, primarily shot in Guwahati lot of the Sandhya Mukherjee, Salil work was done in Calcutta. I was Choudhury, Hemanta Mukherjee and given many production responsibili- many others. His close friends Samar ties. Bhupendaalso asked me to sing Sinha and Alodi were often in the Bihu with Moghai Ojha and narrate house. Nirod Choudhury, Pratima the opening sequence 'Xurja Jetiya CMYK A still from ‘Chik Mik Bijuli’ Pandey, Arup Baruah, Nilima Baruah, Kesua Asil…." recalls Ma.She com- and Bhupenda loved performing our sister Ruby (Stuty Patel), his Ratna Ojha and many friends and pleted her studies at Calcutta univer- when he accompanied him. Pabitra future wife.", said Ma. Bhupenmama family from Assam used to come by. sity in 1966. A few months later her Borkakoty and Kulada Bhattacharjee, was very fond of Kailasuncle and so Shashanka Shome was managing his father Nilakanta Hazarika passed and CMYK Krishna Das Nath and others in the were all of us. Over the years, he affairs and Mintu Mukherjee was also she moved back to be with her mother crew of Sakuntala were also in anchored numerous get-togethers of around assisting Bhupenda. I took Santipriya. Calcutta. Bhupendatook me to Radha the entire extended family in care of the kitchen with the help of Bhupenmama filmed Chik Mik Studio (which later became Calcutta Nijarapar. Kamaladi and Sureshbhai and did my Bijuli in 1968. It was apparently the

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