Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia was a novelist, short story writer and film director from Assam

Assam

Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...

. He had a PhD in Nuclear Physics

Nuclear physics

Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...

 from the University of London

University of London

-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...

 and later taught at Gauhati University

Gauhati University

Gauhati University, the first university of North East India, is in the Jalukbari area in the western part Guwahati city, Assam, India. It was established in 1948. It is a four-star rated university by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. It has 183 affiliated colleges.- Campus :The...

. He won many literary awards, including Sahitya Academy (1976), and was also recognised with the Padma Shri

Padma Shri

Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...

.

Biography

Bhabendra Nath Saikia was born on February 20, 1932 at Nagaon town. He passed Matriculation Examination in 1948 in first division He secured first division in Intermediate Examination in Science in the year 1950 He passed B.Sc. Examination in 1952 with honors in Physics from the Cotton College of Gauhati University He completed his M.Sc. Examination in 1955-56 in Physics from the Presidency college of Calcutta University .He obtained Ph.D. Degree in physics in 1961 from the University of London. He also obtained Diploma of Imperial College (D.I.C.) of Science & Technology, London in 1961. He worked as reader in Physics in Gauhati University. He became a Member, Sangeet Natak Akademi, India.

Dr. Saikia died on August 13, 2003 in Guwahati and is survived by his wife Preeti Saikia, and Houston based daughters Dr. Sangeeta Saikia and Rashmi Saikia. His brother, Dr. Nagen Saikia passed away in May, 2011. His dream project Aarohan is now functioning successfully at Guwahati, Assam.

Works

He is recognized as one of the top ranking writers of Assam. Many stories have been translated into English, Bengali, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati etc. He had also written a large number of plays for All India Radio (AIR). The plays Kolahal, Durbhiksha and Itihaas were taken up by the AIR as national plays. Kolahal was selected for broadcast from foreign centers. He has been associated actively with the stage as a playwrit and director. He has written many plays for 'Mobile Theatre' of Assam, and a number of One Act Plays.

He had directed eight feature films. These films have been screened at International Film Festivals held at various places such as Cannes, Madras, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Bangalore, Calcutta, Karlovy Vary (Czechoslovakia), Nantes (France), Valladolid (Spain), Algiers (Algeria), Pyong Yong (North Korea), Sydney, Munich, Montreal and Toronto. Has also directed one episode of a Doordarshan series on Rabindra Nath Tagore's stories in Hindi. Seven out of his eight films have been selected for Indian Panorama Section of the International Film Festival of India. • He received the Sahitya Akademi (India) Award in 1976, the Rajat Kamal Award of the Government of India for the film Sandhyarag in 1978, Anirban in 1981,Agnisnan in 1985, Kolahal in 1988, Sarothi in 1992, Abartan in 1994 and for Itihaas in 1996. He was adjudged as one of the "Twenty one Great Assamese Persons of the twentieth century" in a literary weekly news magazines of Assam.

Assamese

1. Sandhyarag (Rajat Kamal award, 1978, Cannes Film Festival)
2. Anirban (Rajat Kamal award, 1981)
3. Agnisnan (Rajat Kamal award, Best screenplay - India)
4. Kolahal (Rajat Kamal award)
5. Sarothi (Rajat Kamal award)
6. Abartan (Rajat Kamal award)
7. ltihaas (Rajat Kamal award)

Novels

1. Antarip [ the cape]
2. Ramyabhumi [ the accoland]
3. Atankar Shekhot [ at the end of the panic]

Short story collections

1. Prahari [ the watchman]
2. Sendur [Sindur]
3. Gahabar [the cave]
4. Srinkhal [the chain]
5. Upakantha [ nearby place]
6. Ai bandaror abeli [Afternoon of this port ]
7. Brindabon [brindabon-name of a person ]
8. Taranga [ wave ]
9. Sandhya Bhraman
   Sandhya Bhraman
   Sandhya Bhraman is a short story collection by Bhabendra Nath Saikia. It was the last collection of Saikia's short story collection in his lifetime. It was first published in 1998...
   
   [evening walk ]
10. Galpa aru Shilpa [ Story and art]
11. Akash [the sky]

Plays

1. Romyabhumi
2. Neelakontho
3. Mahaaranya
4. Deenabandhu
5. Paandulipi
6. Aamrapaali
7. Aranyat Godhuli
8. Monikut
9. Gahbor
10. Gadhuli
11. Amrit
12. Barnamaalaa
13. Bandeexaal
14. Paramaananda
15. Xubho-xongbaad
16. Bixkumbha
17. Andhakup
18. Digambar
19. Swarnajayanti
20. Swargar Duwar
21. Raamdhenu
22. Xataabdee
23. Xamudra Manthan
24. Junak Rati [unfinished]
25. Brindabon
26. Janmabhumi
27. Pratibimba
28. Ejaak jonakir jilmil [one act play]

Children's books

1. Maramar Deuta
   Maramar Deuta
   Maramar Deuta is a novel written in Assamese by renowned Assamese literature and film director Dr.Bhabendra Nath Saikia. It was first published serially in several episodes in children's magazine Xophura also edited by then Dr.Bhabendra Nath Saikia...
   
    [Dear Father]
2. Tumalukor bhal houk [May you all prosper]
3. Xantaxista Hristopusto Mahadusta [The quiet one, the physically fit one, and the immensely notorious one. All India Radio children's play on 2 brothers, a friend, and a sister]
4. Mahadustor Dustobuddhi [Mischief]
5. Maram [Love]

Collection of essays

1. Xekh Pristha [vol-1]
2. Xekh Pristha [vol-2]
3. Xekh Pristha [vol-3]
4. Xekh Pristha [vol-4]

Autobiographies

1. Jeebon Britta
2. Jeebon Rekha
3. Mur hoishab, mur koishur [my childhood, my teenage]

Magazines

1. Prantik
   Prantik
   Prantik is a multi-topic Assamese magazine published fortnightly from Guwahati since 1981. It plays a vital role in the socio-political lives of the people of Assam. The founder editor of the magazine is Dr. Bhabendranath Saikia. The present editor is Pradip Baruah.-References:The magazine was...
   
   - He was the founder editor of this Assamese magazine published fortnightly from Guwahati since 1981. It plays a vital role in the socio-political lives of the people of Assam.
2. Xafura - He was the founder editor of this popular Assamese children's magazine.

Awards

1. Assam Publication Board award (1973)
2. Sahitya Akademi
   Sahitya Akademi Award to Assamese Writers
   Sahitya Akademi Award is given each year, since 1955, by Sahitya Akademi , to writers and their works, for their outstanding contribution to the upliftment of Indian literature and Assamese literature in particular ....
   
    (1976)
3. Assam valley Literary award
   Assam Valley Literary Award
   The Assam Valley Literary Award was conceived in the year 1990 by Williamson Magor Education Trust to honour outstanding creative writers who have enhanced the richness of Assamese literature.-History:The award was announced by Shri B.M...
   
   ( 1990)
4. Srimanta Sankardeva Award (1998)
5. Padma Shri
   Padma Shri
   Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
   
    (2001)
6. Degree of D.Litt, honoris causa (2001)
7. Dr. Saikia was honored posthumously with the naming of the Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Road, in Guwahati, India
8. Dr. Saikia was honored posthumously with the naming the Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia children's amusement park at the Sri. Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, India
9. Dr. Saikia was honored posthumously with the naming the Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Library at the Sri. Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, India
10. Dr. Saikia was honored posthumously with the naming the Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Cultural Award. The first recipient (2010) was film maker Jahnu Barua from the Chief Minister of the State, Honorable Tarun Gogoi.

Leadership

Dr. Saikia was a Member, Sangeet Natak Akademi; Member of the Executive and General Council of Sahitya Akademi; Member, Indian National Council for co-operation with UNESCO; Member, Academic Council, Gauhati University; President of Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society; Member, Advisory Body, All India Radio, Guwahati; Chairman, Assam State Film (Finance and Development) Corporation Ltd; Member., Governing Body, North East Zone Cultural Centre, Dimapur; Member, Governing Body, East Zone Cultural Centre, Kolkata; Member of Court of the Gauhati University, Assam; Member, Society of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, Member, Board of Trustees, National Book Trust of India.

He also worked extensively in the creation, proposal, construction, and planning of the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, Assam, which is now a sprawling cultural center, one of its kind, and a tourist attraction for the state of Assam. He served as the first Vice President of the Kalakshetra, under the governor of Assam as the President. This center was built in the memory of Assamese cultural legend Srimanta Sankardev (1449–1568).

See also

• Assamese literature
  Assamese literature
  Assamese literature is the entire corpus of poetry, novels, short stories, documents and other writings in the Assamese language. It also includes popular ballads in the older forms of the language during its evolution to the contemporary form. The literary heritage of the Assamese language can...
  
  
• Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva
• Jyoti Prasad Agarwala
  Jyoti Prasad Agarwala
  Jyoti Prasad Agarwala was a great Assamese playwright, songwriter, poet, writer and film maker from Assam. He was considered as Assamese cultural icon, deeply revered for his creative vision and output and is popularly called the Rupkonwar of Assamese culture...
  
  
• Bishnuprasad Rabha
  Bishnuprasad Rabha
  Bishnu Prasad Rabha was born in Dhaka on 31 January 1909. He was a multifaceted artist and revolutionary singer of Assam. A doyen of the Arts, he is popularly known as Kala Guru . From an early stage, he played an active role in the struggle for Indian independence. However, he never joined Indian...
  
  
• Laxminath Bezbarua
  Laxminath Bezbarua
  Lakshminath Bezbaruah was a great Assamese personality in Assamese literature. He gave a new impetus to the Assamese literature that had stagnated for some time and enriched it through his essays, plays, fiction and poetry. As a sensitive artist he responded to the influences of social environment...
  
  
• Krishna Kanta Handique
  Krishna Kanta Handique
  Krishna Kanta Handique was a Sanskrit scholar, an Indologist and philanthropist from Assam.-Biography:...
  
  
• Bhabananda Deka
  Bhabananda Deka
  Prof Bhabananda Deka , is a multi-faceted writer of one hundred twelve books, textbooks on economics, literature and political science, and articles from Assam, a state in the north-eastern part of India.-Biography:...
  
  
• Music of Assam
  Music of Assam
  The music of Assam, a state in the northeastern part of India, can be divided into various categories of folk music. In recent times starting the late eighties popular artistes have modernized the music that caters to local popular demand....
  
  

External links

• www.bhabensaikia.com - Official Website
• Farewell to you, maestro
• Complete Works of Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia
• Voice of Assam feature - citing The Assam Tribune, August 13, 2006
• Reel-life characters make a mark, The Telegraph, December 31, 2003
• Dr Saikia's death condoled, sentinelassam.com, August 26, 2003
• Epitaph for ‘Sir’, Deccan Herald, August 31, 2003
• B. N. Saikia dead, The Hindu, August 14, 2003
• IMDb filmography
• Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Children's Welfare Trust
• The Gentle Genius is no more
• The Official Bhabendra Nath Saikia forum
• The Bhabendra Nath Saikia forum on Orkut