Google doodle celebrates the 96th birth anniversary of Indian singer, lyricist, musician, poet, actor and filmmaker Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. He won several prestigious awards during his career.
Google honours the Indian singer, lyricist, musician, poet, actor and filmmaker Dr. Bhupen Hazarika on his 96th birth anniversary through doodle. During the career, he won several prestigious awards like the Padma Vibhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke award for his outstanding contribution to music and culture. In 2019, he was honoured posthumously with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour.
Google Doodle has been illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist Rutuja Mali. Hazarika was popularly known as Sudha Kontho. He created music for hundreds of films. He was also one of northeast India’s leading socio-cultural reformers, whose creations and compositions united people from all walks of life.
Google honours Dr. Bhupen Hazarika
Hazarika was born on September 8, 1926 in northeastern India. His home state, Assam, is a region that has always been home to different tribes and several indigenous groups—such as the Bodo, Karbi, Mising and Sonowal-Kacharis. As a child, Hazarika grew up surrounded by songs and folk tales about life along the mighty Brahmaputra river.
At a young age, his musical talents attracted the attention of renowned Assamese lyricist Jyotiprasad Agarwala, and filmmaker, Bishnu Prasad Rabha—both doyens of Assam’s rich cultural history. They helped Hazarika record his first song, which launched his music career at 10 years old. By age 12, Hazarika was writing and recording songs for two films: Indramalati: Kaxote Kolosi Loi, and Biswo Bijoyi Naujawan.
Over time, Hazarika created numerous compositions, having a penchant for telling people’s stories through songs—stories about happiness and grief, of unity and courage, romance and loneliness, and even strife and determination.
Bhupen Hazarika was not only a child music prodigy, he was also an intellectual. He graduated with a master’s in political science from Banaras Hindu University in 1946, and went on to earn a PhD in mass communications from Columbia University in 1952.
He returned to India after completing his studies in America and continue working on songs and films that popularized Assamese culture on both a national and global level.
He served as chairman and director of numerous boards and associations, including the Indian government’s National Film Development Corporation.
“Happy birthday, Bhupen Hazarika! Your songs and films continue to command respect for Assam’s rich culture,” Google wrote.
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