Pulak Gogoi

Pulak Gogoi (1938-2022) was a painter and cartoonist who became a director and producer of Assamese films. He trained in art in Mumbai and Boston, worked as a cartoonist at the Assam Tribune, and held exhibitions in places including Washington. With money from selling paintings there, and encouraged by Bhupen Hazarika, who offered to compose the music, he made his debut with Khoj (1975), which did poorly.

He directed nine Assamese features in all, producing six of them himself. Srimati Mohimamoyee (1979) brought him a profit, and Sendur (1984) was a major hit. Relar Alir Dubori Bon (1993) won the National Award for best Assamese film at the 40th National Film Awards without a regular theatrical release, yet still made a profit through awards and television screenings. His later films include Morom Nodir Gabhoru Ghat (1999), Patni (2003) and Momtaaj (2013), which won the first Filmfare East award for best Assamese film. In 2017 he received the Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha Award. He died on 12 November 2022.