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Nation Pays Homage to Pran: The Beloved Villain Of Bollywood!

By CHINMAY CHAKRAVARTY - July 14, 2013

Veteran actor and the most beloved villain of Bollywood (read Hindi Cinema) passed away at 93 in a Mumbai hospital on the evening of July 12, 2013. He had not been keeping well for a long time and could not attend the National Awards Ceremony held in New Delhi on May 3, 2013. In an emotionally charged function at Pran's Residence in Mumbai on May 10, 2013 the Indian Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewary accompanied by top officers presented the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award to the ailing legend.
The legendary actor and the classic villain of Bollywood had been cremated with full honors at Shivaji Park in Mumbai around noon yesterday. His body already in a deteriorating state could not be taken home and therefore directly transported to the crematorium in a symbolic last journey. Apart from thousands of fans cutting across the age barrier top stars of Bollywood including Amitabh Bachchan offered their tearful tributes. The national TV channels have been offering…

Movies: Legendary Bollywood Villain Pran Gets Dadasaheb Phalke Award!

By CHINMAY CHAKRAVARTY - April 13, 2013

Pran—a name that terrorized us as little kids; a name that we loved to adore as we grew older and a name that has remained with us till now and forever. We were struck with awe by his villainous portrayals and yet we could not stop liking him—his gait, his style of talking, his looks, his smart dress code and the eternal cigarette in his hands. That time we were not capable of judging him as an actor, but the way he kept us spellbound was only due to his intensely powerful and effective performances. Since we loved him so much even as a villain we longed to see him as a good guy on the side of the fighting-for-truth hero. And, we got that hugely satisfying and gratifying experience too.
Pran Krishan Sikand (born 1920) turned 93 in February this year and yesterday, the 12th of April, 2013, he was chosen for the supreme honour of Indian cinema—the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2012. Maybe a little late as the classic Bollywood actor is almost unable to walk around or talk articulately. But…

Amulya Kumar Chakravarty Memorial Trust Award

Amulya Kumar Chakravarty was a writer and a celebrated translator of world epics. He translated Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad and Virgil’s Aenid into Assamese. These books were published in the seventies and eighties in Assam, India; and even now are bestsellers going into multiple editions. Doubled with a flowing original language and strict authenticity these translated epics are hailed in Assam as trend setting translations.

Amulya Kumar Chakravarty had a hard life. Being a farmer’s son he went to the nearby town for studies and after graduation set off for Calcutta (now Kolkata) for post graduation in English. His ambition was to become a college teacher so that he could devote his life to education and writings. But due to economic hardships he had to come back half way and was forced to join Assam Civil Service of which he could not ever come out. He also contracted diabetes after forty years of age. Uprightness, honesty and efficiency ruling his career he always struggled for economic stability. He never had enough money and always took pride in telling that his only investments in life had been on his four children's education. Burning a lot of midnight oil, literally, and waging a constant war against mosquitoes he continued his writing activities and apart from the three translated epics he also wrote numerous short stories and a half completed novel. His exemplary honesty remains a source of inspiration for his admirers in today's environment of rampant corruption.

Amulya Kumar Chakravarty passed away in 1991. His family and local literary bodies in Guwahati formed a memorial Trust in 2002 and decided to institute an Award for excellent literary translations in Assamese on a biennial basis. The first Award consisting of cash prize and certificate was given in 2003 to one of the nominated books. This gave a tremendous boost to promote genuine translation works in Assam.

The Trust has announced the Award for 2011 to eminent author Dr. Prafulla Kataky for his outstanding contribution to Assamese literary translation work.

The Award was presented at an august function held on October 09, 2011 at Veterinary College Auditorium, Guwahati.

For 2013 the Sixth Amulya Kumar Chakravarty Memorial Translation Literature Award was presented to Author-Translator Bipul Deuri at a dignified ceremony held on 6th October, the 22nd Death Anniversary of Amulya Kumar Chakravarty, at Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati. The Award was handed over by Imran Shah, President of Assam Sahitya Sabha. A Painting Competition for Children was organized by Shrutinaad earlier on the day as a part of the event.

The Seventh Amulya Kumar Chakravarty Memorial Translation Literature Award has been presented to Dhrubajyoti Borthakur for Assamese translation of Hermann Hesse's book 'Siddhartha'. The award was ceremonially handed over by the President of Assam Sahitya Sabha, Dr Dhrubajyoti Bora on 4th October, 2015 at Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati

Music and More>>>

Ragini Chakravarty is a Hindustani Classical Vocalist of the famed Kirana gharana and a disciple of Padmabhushan Dr. Prabha Atre. Ragini has been performing all over India with her classical recitals, light compositions and sangeet se sangeet tak concerts. She can be consulted here for program details. Under the banner of Shrutinaad Ragini also conducts regular classes on vocal music.

Ragini's second audio album 'Bhoyai Oi...Kahani Ahiba Ghuri' (O' My Beloved...When Are You Coming Back Home!) was released at Guwahati on 4th January by renowned writer-author Lakshminandan Bora. This album consists of ten immortal Assamese songs of poet-composer-author-freedom fighter Kamalananda Bhattacharyya. Beauty of words and melody make these numbers irresistible.

Contact: info.shrutinaad@gmail.com