Bard of Brahmaputra, Bhupen Hazarika, dies at 86

Singer, composer, filmmaker and self-proclaimed jajabor (wanderer), Bhupen Hazarika, 86, died in Mumbai on Saturday evening of pneumonia and multiple organ failure. HT reports. Obituary | Condolences | 'His soothing voice was like a hug'

Singer, composer, filmmaker and self-proclaimed jajabor (wanderer), Bhupen Hazarika, 86, died in Mumbai on Saturday evening of pneumonia and multiple organ failure.



Hazarika had been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital in June.



"I have lost my father, brother, lover, husband, friend, mentor and guide. He was extraordinary," said Kalpana Lajmi, Hazarika’s companion of 29 years.



"He created national integration by bringing together Northeast India, Bangladesh and eastern India on the world map."

Dubbed the ‘Bard of the Brahmaputra’, Hazarika was born into a family of teachers and began his career as a child actor in 1939. He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1992, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2009.

“Like most visionaries, he was a lonely crusader. He devoted his life to addressing the concerns of the people of the northeast. I don’t see him only as a musician but as a reformer,” said filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.

Hazarika is survived by his estranged wife Priyam, who lives in Canada, and a son, Tej, based in New York. His body will be flown to Assam on Sunday, where his family will perform the last rites.

Obituary: Bhupen Hazarika, the bard of Brahmaputra