Bhupen Hazarika's body taken to Assam; cremation tomorrow

The mortal remains of legendary singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika were flown to Assam where his last rites will be conducted tomorrow (November 8).

"The body was taken by close family members from the hospital at 6.50 AM. We have been informed that it will reach at 11.30 AM in Guwahati by a flight. The funeral will take place tomorrow at one pm on the banks of Brahmaputra for which arrangements have been made by the Assam government," Dr Ram Naren, COO, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital, said today.

His body will be kept for two days at the Judges Field for the public to pay their last respects.

Legendary singer-composer Dr Bhupen Hazarika, who underwent treatment at a hospital in Mumbai, has passed away. He died at 4.37 p.m. today at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.

In pic: The body of the music legend.

The 85-year-old Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner was undergoing treatment at the hospital since June 29, after he complained of breathlessness and was on dialysis. Both of his kidneys failed and since then the legendary composer was bedridden.

His health deteriorated on October 23 after he developed pneumonia. He had to undergo a minor surgery in which doctors inserted a food pipe into his system.

In this pic, Tina Ambani paying her respects to the late singer.

Coming Up: Guwahati pays tribute to Bhupen Hazarika...

Musicians and fans gather in Guwahati to pay tribute to the maestro.

Bhupen Hazarika's fans lit candles and diyas to celebrate the life of the deceased musician.

Coming up: Bhupen Hazarika's life in pics...

Born on the 8th of September, 1926, in Sadiya, Assam, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika was a prolific academic.

He completed his B. A. in 1944 and his M. A. in Political Science in 1946 from the renowned Banaras Hindu University.

He then received his doctorate in Mass Communication from the prestigious Columbia University.

He also received the Lisle Fellowship from Chicago University to study the use of educational project development through cinema.

Foremost among his numerous achievements is that of bringing recognition to the fledging Assamese cinema in India and around the world.

Over the last four decades, Dr Hazarika integrated the culture of the seven north-eastern states, including tribal culture, through cinema.

Remarkably popular, Dr Hazarika was elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly as an Independent Member from 1967 to 1972. At the time, he installed the first state-owned film studio in India in Guwahati.

In films, Bhupen Hazarika began his career as a child actor in the second talkie film to be made in 1939, Indramalati. He wrote and sang his first song at the age of 10 after which there was no looking back.

In his lengthy and illustrious career, Dr Hazarika produced, directed, composed music and sang for Assamese films such as Era Batar Sur (1956), Shakuntala (1960), Pratidhwani (1964) and Lotighoti (1967).

He produced, directed and composed music for the first Hindi feature film in colour from Arunachal Pradesh, Mera Dharam Meri Maa (1977).

Dr Hazarika composed the music for several outstanding Bengali films, such as Jiban Trishna, Jonakir Alo, and Chameli Memsaab.

In 1995 Dr Hazarika composed the music for Sai Paranjpye Hindi feature film, Papiha and Bimal Dutt's Hindi feature film, Pratimurti.

Perhaps the only balladeer in the country, composing his own lyrics and music, Dr Hazarika lent his voice to the film Gandhi To Hitler, where he sang Mahatma Gandhi's favourite bhajan Vaishnava Jana To.

In 2001, Dr Hazarika was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Bhushan. He was also given the Lata Mangeshkar Award for his overall contribution in music by the Madhya Pradesh Government.

The Padma Bhushan awardee celebrated his birthday this year, sadly, in the ICU of the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.