Sakuntala

King Dushyanta of Hastinapur loses his way on a hunt and reaches the hermitage of the sage Kanva. There he meets Kanva's foster daughter Sakuntala. They fall in love and marry in the gandharva manner. When the time comes for the king to return to his capital, he puts a ring on her finger and promises to send for her soon.

One day the sage Durvasa, known for his temper, comes to the hermitage asking for alms. Lost in thoughts of Dushyanta, Sakuntala does not hear him. In anger he curses her: the person she is thinking of will forget her. Later, softening, he offers a remedy: the king will not recognise her at first, but if she can show him some token of the past, he will remember.

When the king does not send for her, the pregnant Sakuntala sets out for Hastinapur herself, and on the way the ring slips into a river and is lost. The king fails to recognise her, insults her and sends her away. Heartbroken, she returns and gives birth to a son. Meanwhile a fisherman finds the ring inside a fish and is arrested as a thief, since it bears the royal mark. When he is brought to court and the ring is seen, Dushyanta remembers everything. He brings Sakuntala and their son to Hastinapur.

The film was produced by Kashi Prasad Bihani under the Kamrup Chitra banner of Calcutta. Bhupen Hazarika directed it and was also its music director and lyricist. Camera work was by Radha Films, Calcutta, and shooting took place at Indrapuri Studio, Calcutta. Sound was by Abani Chatterjee and make-up by Anant Das.

The film is in black and white, but the song Prothom Prohor Raati was shot on colour film. This made it the first partly coloured Assamese film.

There were six songs in all, with music and words by Bhupen Hazarika. Pabitra Barkataki and Anita Guha played Dushyanta and Sakuntala. The cast also included Khagen Mahanta, Eva Acao (Anusuya), Krishna Das (Priyamvada) and Phani Sarma (Durvasa). The six-year-old Vidya Rao appeared as a child ashram girl.

At the National Film Awards for 1961 (the ninth edition), Sakuntala received the Silver Medal for the best film in Assamese.

In Bhupen Hazarika's filmography, Sakuntala came after Era Bator Sur (1956) and was followed by Pratidhwani (1964) and Pratiddhani (1964).