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Roopkar Film Festival to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema

By Abdul Gani |
Roopkar film festival

Come on April 21 at Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio in Guwahati to celebrate the 100 years of Indian cinema in grand manner with some of the master pieces crafted throughout the century by some of the tallest figures of the fraternity. The occasion will be 'Roopkar Film Festival' (RFF), to be held from April 21 to 23, 2013 at the Rudra Barua Auditorium, where the cinematic heritage of the Indian film industry will be showcased. On this very momentous occasion, the festival will screen 12 selected Indian films on a grand scale.

“The festival has in store classic and evergreen movies made by some of the great masters and stalwarts of Indian cinema. It has got Satyajit Ray's 'Nayak', Bimal Roy's 'Madhumati',  Shyam Benegal's 'Trikal', Guru Dutt's 'Kagaj Ke Phool', Dr Bhabendranath Saikia's 'Anirban', Aparna Sen's '36 Chowringee Lane' among others,” said Prantik Deka, an organizer.

In the 1970s, a progressive magazine by the name of 'Roopkar' started by Assam's pioneering cine-journalist and distinguished litterateur and journalist Pabitra Kumar Deka came into existence, which brought about a revolutionary change in the State's art-cultural scenario with it's exciting and innovative brand of news, articles, stories, fiction, poetry and reviews by many a new and veteran writers, intellectuals and literary doyens. A first of its kind in the North-East India, the magazine which influenced a generation of readers with it's all encompassing wrap-ups of Assam's art-culture, was very successful and continued till the early 1990s.

“Some conscious enthusiasts, who have had the privilege of working closely with the magazine's founder-editor, and who fondly remember the magazine for its innovative quality and archival significance, have joined hands to hold the Roopkar Film Festival. Pabitra Kumar Deka's passion and influence for art-culture were extraordinary. He generously shared his vast knowledge with everyone during his lifetime, and encouraged many a young and talented artiste. His impact and legacy will forever be remembered. The films too were selected keeping in view his aesthetic values and ideals,” Deka added.

National Award-winning film critic and screenplay writer, Utpal Dutta is the director of this three-day festival. Besides films, there will also be an art exhibition and several other programmes at Jyoti Chitraban as part of the celebrations. Besides, movies by masters of Indian cinema, there will also be on view a film by a FTII student.

The festival's logo, which has caught everyone's attention, is designed by Chennai-based Assamese artiste Ajay Kumar Das. Interestingly, various organizations and educational institutions have shown keen interest to screen this festival's package of movies. A souvenir edited by Utpal Dutta will also be published on the occasion. Several eminent writers and critics of the country will contribute with their write-ups, the organizers said.

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