Roopkar

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Roopkar
Founding editor Pabitra Kumar Deka
CategoriesFilm
FrequencyMonthly
Founded1975 (1975)
CountryIndia
LanguageAssamese

Roopkar was the first Assamese language, tabloid-sized magazine about Assamese cinema, theater and culture. Established in 1975, the magazine was founded and edited by journalist and humor writer Pabitra Kumar Deka. [1] Advisers of the magazine were famous singer & composer Bhupen Hazarika and writer Nirode Choudhury.

Contents

The magazine existed till the early 1990s.

Magazine publishing

Roopkar was published on a monthly basis. [2] It was the most popular entertainment magazine in the Northeast; it also instituted the first popular film awards Roopkar Awards in Assam in 1975. [3]

Many young journalists contributed to the magazine, including Assamese film critic Utpal Datta. The Kolkata correspondent for the magazine was Nitai Ghosh. Besides cultural reporting, writers such as Lakshmi Nandan Bora wrote social novels for the magazine. Bhupen Hazarika and Lakshmi Nandan Bora wrote the columns Anyamat and Brittor Bahirot respectively.[ citation needed ]

In 2025, to commemorate fifty years of publication of Roopkar, the magazine was revived by Prodyut Kumar Deka, son of Pabitra Kumar Deka, who announced it would be published annually as a Special issue.

Roopkar Award

The Roopkar Award was instituted in 2011 in the memory of its founder Pabitra Kumar Deka. It is given yearly to one distinguished personality in the field of stage, cinema and media. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Roopkar Award winners

Book publishing

Roopkar Prakashan, the publisher of the magazine, also published a few books. Roopkar Prakashan was revived in the 2020s. [19]

Books published by Roopkar Prakashan

From 1975 to 1995

From 2020 to Present

100 years of Indian Cinema

On the occasion of 100 years of Indian cinema, Roopkar celebrated the occasion by instituting Roopkar Film Festival (RFF), which was held from April 21 to 23, 2013 at the Rudra Barua Auditorium, Jyotichitrabon Complex in Guwahati where the cinematic heritage of the Indian film industry was showcased. Some of the master pieces crafted throughout the century by some of the tallest figures of the fraternity from Satyajt Rays' Nayak to Ramesh Sippy's Sholay were screened. The festival also published a book on cinema essay titled Chalachitra-Samoi-Samaj-Nandanttwa edited by Utpal Datta for the occasion. [20]

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References

  1. ↑ Abdul Gani (31 March 2013). "Roopkar Film Festival to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema". Assam Times. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Vishwanath Bite (February 2015). "Vishwanath Bite in Conversation with Utpal Datta". The Criterion. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Prantik Deka (10 March 2023). "The Iconic Roopkar Film Award 1975". North East Film Journal.
  4. ↑ Apurba Kumar Das (16 January 2018). "Pabitra Kumar Deka Archive and Rupkar Awards". The Assam Tribune.
  5. ↑ Prantik Deka (17 January 2018). "Roopkar awards and Pabitra Kumar Deka Archive". www.kothasobi.com.
  6. ↑ "Heaping praise on Pabitra Kr Deka". Assam Times . 21 January 2018.
  7. ↑ "'Roopkar Awards presented'". northeastindia24.com.
  8. ↑ "'Roopkar Awards 2018 presented'". kothasobi. 2019.
  9. 1 2 "'Roopkar Awards presented to renowned Filmmaker Jahnu Barua, Actor Arun Nath'". Sentinel Assam .
  10. ↑ "Noted writer-director and prominent photographer presented with Roopkar awards". Eclectic Northeast . 2019.
  11. ↑ "'প্ৰাঞ্জল শইকীয়া আৰু মৃদুল গুপ্তালৈ ৰূপকাৰ বঁটা - 2021'".
  12. 1 2 "'Roopkar Awards for years 2021 and 2022 presented'".
  13. ↑ "'Roopkar Awards Presented'". Magical Assam . 2021.
  14. ↑ "'Roopkar Awards presented to Pranjal Saikia and Mridul Gupta'". pratidintime.
  15. ↑ "'বিশিষ্ট চিত্ৰ সমালোচক উৎপল দত্ত আৰু বিশিষ্ট অভিনেতা তথা পৰিচালক সঞ্জীৱ হাজৰিকাক প্ৰদান কৰা হ'ল 'ৰূপকাৰ বঁটা'". assam.news18.com.
  16. ↑ "'দুই বিশিষ্ট ব্যক্তিলৈ ২০২৩-২০২৪ বৰ্ষৰ সন্মানীয় 'ৰূপকাৰ বঁটা' - ROOPKAR AWARD 2023 2024'". etvbharat.
  17. ↑ "'Roopkar Awards' presented to eminent film critic Utpal Datta and filmmaker Sanjeev Hazorika'". assamtimes. 2025.
  18. ↑ "'Roopkar Awards Honour Utpal Datta and Sanjeev Hazorika'". northeastfilmjournal. 2025.
  19. ↑ "Utpal Datta Unveils Captivating Anthology 'Kapurusar Tarowal' Amidst Acclaim". neindiabroadcast.com. 8 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "'Roopkar Film Festival to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema'".
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