Bhupen Hazarika | Google Doodle Paid tribute to Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

Dr. Bhupen: A Google Doodle pays tribute to the legendary Assamese singer on his birth anniversary.

Bhupen Hazarika Apart from being a multitalented composer, Hazarika was also one of northeast India’s leading socio-cultural reformers, whose compositions are known to have united people from all walks of life.

On the occasion of his 96th birthday, Google paid tribute to Assamese playback singer Dr Bhupen Hazarika with a doodle.Hazarika, who was born in Assam’s Tinsukia district on September 8, 1926 and died at the age of 85 in Mumbai, was not only an exceptional singer who gifted India with countless evergreen songs in several languages but also a poet, music composer, actor, journalist, author, and film-maker.

Google Doodles published the homage doodle in honour of Bhupen Hazarika, who is also known as the "Bard of Brahmaputra," and tweeted, "Did you know Bhupen Hazarika was an Assamese-Indian child genius who began singing and creating music for film studios at just 12 years old?

Hazarika was a prominent socio-cultural reformer in northeast India, and his works and compositions are credited with bringing people from different backgrounds together. Google's artwork, illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist Rutuja Mali, honours Hazarika's efforts to popularise Assamese film and folk music.

Early Life

Dr. Hazarika hails from Assam, which at the time was inhabited by a number of indigenous tribes, including the Bodo, Karbi, Mising, and Sonowal-Kacharis. She was raised listening to songs and hearing legends about life along the Brahmaputra river.

Reputable musicians were early admirers of Hazarika's musical abilities. Hazarika's music career began at the age of 10 when renowned Assamese writer Jyotiprasad Agarwala and director Bishnu Prasad Rabha recognised his talent. When he was 12 years old, Hazarika had already finished writing and recording the music for two Indramalati movies, Kaxote Kolosi Loi and Biswa Bijoy Naujawan.

He graduated with a master’s in political science from Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi in 1946, and went on to earn a PhD in mass communication from America’s Columbia University in 1952. Paul Robeson, a civil rights leader, had a significant impact on Hazarika while he was a student at Columbia University. As a result, Hazarika wrote the well-known songs "Bistirno Parore" and "Ganga Behti Ho Kyun" using Robeson's "Old Man River" as inspiration.

A 60 Years Long Career

After completing his education, Hazarika returned to India and proceeded to produce songs and movies that helped Assamese culture gain recognition on a national and international scale. Hazarika produced a large number of compositions throughout the course of a six-decade career. His songs told the tales of those who had experienced joy and sorrow, togetherness and bravery, love and loneliness, and even struggle and tenacity.

Even the National Film Development Corporation of India had him on its board of directors and as its chairman.

Shakuntala Sur and Pratidhwani, two of Hazarika's award-winning films, are only a couple of examples. His filmmaking endeavours, such as "Lati-Ghati," "Chik Mik Bijuli," "For Whom the Sun Shines," and "Mera Dharam Meri Maa," were well received. He made a significant contribution to Hindi film by serving as the music director for a few notable movies, including "Arop," "Ek Pal," and "Rudaali." For the 1993 film Rudaali, which includes the well-known song "Dil Hoom Hoom Kare," he received the "Best Music Director National Award."

Awards won

The legendary artist won several prestigious awards, like the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the Padma Shri, and the Padma Bhushan, for his outstanding contribution to music and culture. Dr. Hazarika received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, posthumously in 2019.