Tarulata Kutum is an Indian singer, composer, lyricist, and actress from the Mising community. She is known for her recordings and performances in the Mising language and for popularising Oi Nitom, a traditional Mising song form. Her work combines elements of Assamese popular music with indigenous folk melodies, and she has appeared in regional concerts and music festivals across Northeast India.[1][2][3][4]She has also appeared in films such as Ko:Yad, which became the first mising-language film to win a national award.[5]
Kutum believes that good films can be appreciated beyond language barriers. Speaking about Ko Yad, she said that audiences, including foreigners at the International Film Festival of India, could understand and enjoy its story. She described the film as one of her most difficult roles and mentioned that she had once thought of leaving the project. Directed by Manju Borah, Ko: Yad became the first Mising-language film to win a National Film Award. Kutum is also known as a playback singer in Assam and has performed with artists such as Zubeen Garg.[2][6]
Tarulata Kutum performing live in 2021
In addition to studio work, Kutum performs in live concerts and cultural events that promote indigenous traditions of Assam. In 2012, she appeared in Samanway, a cross-community concert in Guwahati that featured artists representing different ethnic groups of the Northeast. She has also been featured at festivals celebrating Mising heritage and Assamese folk festivals.[7] Her performances combine indigenous Mising melodies with Assamese folk elements, showcasing the cultural diversity of Assam. Speaking at the 2015 Rongali festival in Guwahati, she highlighted the challenges faced by regional artistes in exploring opportunities outside the state due to a lack of financial support. She also expressed optimism that government initiatives and cultural festivals could help promote local talent and preserve traditional art forms.[8][9] In November 2023, Kutum performed at the Raas Mahotsav organised by the Nalduar Yuvak Kristi Sangha in Namoni Majuli. The festival, one of the major cultural events of the island, featured performances across more than fifty stages and twelve satras (Vaishnavite monasteries). Kutum appeared on both days of the two-day celebration, which forms a central part of Majuli’s Sattriya cultural tradition.[10]
Kutum has also produced and acted in many mising films.[11]
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