:Roopkar
{{italic title}}
{{short description|Assamese film magazine}}
{{Infobox magazine
| title = Roopkar
| category = Film magazine
| frequency = Yearly
| language = Assamese
| editor = Pabitra Kumar Deka
| editor_title = Founding editor
| founded = {{Start date|1975}}
| firstdate =
| country = India
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2019}}
Roopkar was the first Assamese language, tabloid-sized magazine about Assamese cinema, theater and culture. Established in 1975, the magazine was founded and edited by journalist and humor writer Pabitra Kumar Deka.{{cite news |author=Abdul Gani |title=Roopkar Film Festival to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema |url=http://www.assamtimes.org/node/8111 |access-date=22 June 2016 |work=Assam Times |date=31 March 2013}} Advisers of the magazine were famous singer & composer Bhupen Hazarika and writer Nirode Choudhury.
The magazine existed till the early 1990s.
Magazine publishing
Roopkar was published on a monthly basis.{{cite news|author=Vishwanath Bite|title=Vishwanath Bite in Conversation with Utpal Datta|url=http://www.the-criterion.com/vishwanath-bite-in-conversation-with-utpal-datta/#.WBNwpuGLQxc|accessdate=28 October 2016|work=The Criterion|date=February 2015}} It was the most popular entertainment magazine in the Northeast; it also instituted the first popular film awards Roopkar Awards in Assam in 1975.{{cite news|author=Prantik Deka|title=The Iconic Roopkar Film Award 1975|url=https://northeastfilmjournal.com/the-iconic-roopkar-film-award|work=North East Film Journal|date=10 March 2023}}
Many young journalists contributed to the magazine, including Assamese film critic Utpal Datta and Arun Lochan Das. {{cite news|author=Prantik Deka|title=Arun Lochan Das, who brought people into the limelight|url=https://northeastfilmjournal.com/arun-lochan-das-who-brought-people-into-the-limelight|work=North East Film Journal|date=28 October 2023}} The Kolkata correspondent for the magazine was Nitai Ghosh. Besides cultural reporting, writers such as Padma Borkotoki and Lakshmi Nandan Bora wrote social novels for the magazine. Bhupen Hazarika and Lakshmi Nandan Bora wrote the columns Anyamat and Brittor Bahirot respectively.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
In 2025, to commemorate fifty years of publication of Roopkar, the magazine was revived by Prodyut Kumar Deka, son of Pabitra Kumar Deka, who announced it would be published annually as a Special issue {{cite news|author=Prantik Deka|title=Roopkar to be published again!|url=https://northeastfilmjournal.com/roopkar-to-be-published-again|work=North East Film Journal|date=7 March 2025}}{{cite news|author=Prantik Deka|title=Roopkar Revival: The Iconic Assamese Magazine Set to Make a Comeback!|url=https://northeastindia24.com/roopkar-revival-the-iconic-assamese-magazine-set-to-make-a-comeback/|work=North East India 24|date=9 March 2025}}{{cite news|author=Puja Mahanta|title=Assam: Legendary Assamese magazine 'Roopkar' to be republished in April 2025|url=https://www.indiatodayne.in/entertainment/story/assam-legendary-assamese-magazine-roopkar-to-be-republished-in-april-2025-1181809-2025-03-10|work=India Today NE|date=10 March 2025}}
Roopkar Award
The Roopkar Award was instituted in 2011 in the memory of its founder Pabitra Kumar Deka. It is given yearly to one distinguished personality in the field of stage, cinema and media.{{cite news|author=Apurba Kumar Das|title=Pabitra Kumar Deka Archive and Rupkar Awards|url=http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/at.asp?id=jan1618/Page10|work=The Assam Tribune|date=16 January 2018}}{{cite news|author=Prantik Deka|title=Roopkar awards and Pabitra Kumar Deka Archive|url=http://www.kothasobi.com/award/roopkar-awards-opening-pabitra-kumar-deka-archive|work=www.kothasobi.com|date=17 January 2018}}{{cite news |author= |date=21 January 2018 |title=Heaping praise on Pabitra Kr Deka |url=https://www.assamtimes.org/node/20815 |work=Assam Times}}{{cite web |title=‘Roopkar Awards presented’ |url=http://www.northeastindia24.com/assam-roopkar-awards-presented/ |website=northeastindia24.com}}{{cite web |title=‘UTPAL DATTA AND SANJEEV HAZORIKA HONOURED’ |url=https://thedailyeye.info/in-the-news/festivals-utpal-datta-and-sanjeev-hazorika-honoured/088ae107006bcf73/ |website=thedailyeye.info}}
= Roopkar Award winners =
- 2011 – Ratna Oza: Writer and stage director
- 2012 – Tapan Das: Actor, director, and short story writer
- 2013 – Munin Barua: Film director and playwright
- 2014 – Arun Lochan Das: Film journalist
- 2015 – Sashi Phukan: Publisher and editor of Bismoi Magazine
- 2016 – Nayan Prasad: Actor and stage director
- 2017 – Samarendra Narayan Dev: Film and stage director
- 2018 – Tapan Das: Still photographer and founder of PVTI{{cite web |date=2019 |title=‘Roopkar Awards 2018 presented’ |url=https://www.kothasobi.com/2019/01/roopkar-awards-2018-presented.html |website=kothasobi}}
- 2019 – Jahnu Barua: Film director{{cite web |title=‘Roopkar Awards presented to renowned Filmmaker Jahnu Barua, Actor Arun Nath’ |url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/guwahati-city/roopkar-awards-presented-to-renowned-filmmakerjahnu-barua-actor-arun-nath-520270’ |website=Sentinel Assam}}{{cite web |date=2019 |title=Noted writer-director and prominent photographer presented with Roopkar awards |url=https://eclecticnortheast.in/2019/01/noted-writer-director-and-prominent-photographer-presented-with-roopkar-awards/ |website=Eclectic Northeast}}
- 2020 – Arun Nath: Film and stage actor
- 2021 – Pranjal Saikia: Film and stage actor{{cite web |title=‘প্ৰাঞ্জল শইকীয়া আৰু মৃদুল গুপ্তালৈ ৰূপকাৰ বঁটা - 2021’ |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/assamese/assam/state/kamrup-metropolitan/roopkar-awards-for-years-2021-and-2022-presented/assam20230107153006680680738}}{{cite web |title=‘Roopkar Awards for years 2021 and 2022 presented’ |url=https://ibgnews.com/2023/01/06/roopkar-awards-for-years-2021-and-2022-presented}}{{cite web |date=2021 |title=‘Roopkar Awards Presented’ |url=https://www.magicalassam.com/2021/01/roopkar-awards.html |website=Magical Assam}}
- 2022 – Mridul Gupta: Film director{{cite web |title=‘Roopkar Awards presented to Pranjal Saikia and Mridul Gupta’ |url=https://www.pratidintime.com/latest-assam-news-breaking-news-assam/roopkar-awards-pranjal-saikia-mridul-gupta-pabitra-kumar-deka |website=pratidintime}}
- 2023 – Utpal Datta: Film critic, writer and short filmmaker{{cite web |title=‘বিশিষ্ট চিত্ৰ সমালোচক উৎপল দত্ত আৰু বিশিষ্ট অভিনেতা তথা পৰিচালক সঞ্জীৱ হাজৰিকাক প্ৰদান কৰা হ’ল ‘ৰূপকাৰ বঁটা’ |url=https://assam.news18.com/photogallery/assam/rupkar-award-conferred-to-utpal-datta-and-sanjiv-hazarika-dd-434279.html |website=assam.news18.com}}{{cite web |title=‘দুই বিশিষ্ট ব্যক্তিলৈ ২০২৩-২০২৪ বৰ্ষৰ সন্মানীয় ‘ৰূপকাৰ বঁটা’ - ROOPKAR AWARD 2023 2024’ |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/as/!entertainment/roopkar-cine-enterprise-to-confer-roopkar-award-to-actor-director-sanjib-hazarika-and-prominent-film-critic-utpal-dutta-assam-news-ass25010602883 |website=etvbharat}}
- 2024 – Sanjeev Hazorika: Film and stage actor and director{{cite web |date=2025 |title=‘Roopkar Awards’ presented to eminent film critic Utpal Datta and filmmaker Sanjeev Hazorika’ |url=https://www.assamtimes.org/node/23327#:~:text=The%20prestigious%20Roopkar%20Awards%2C%20instituted,the%20premises%20of%20the%20Pabitra |website=assamtimes}}{{cite web |date=2025 |title=‘Roopkar Awards Honour Utpal Datta and Sanjeev Hazorika’|url=https://northeastfilmjournal.com/roopkar-awards-honour-utpal-datta-and-sanjeev-hazorika|website=northeastfilmjournal}}
Book publishing
Roopkar Prakashan, the publisher of the magazine, also published a few books. Roopkar Prakashan was revived in the 2020s.{{cite web |date=2024-01-08 |title=Utpal Datta Unveils Captivating Anthology 'Kapurusar Tarowal' Amidst Acclaim |url=https://neindiabroadcast.com/2024/01/08/utpal-datta-unveils-captivating-anthology-kapurusar-tarowal-amidst-acclaim/ |website=neindiabroadcast.com}}
= Books published by Roopkar Prakashan =
From 1975 to 1995
- {{Cite book |title=Samipeshu |last=Bordoloi |first=Nirmal Prabha |author-link=Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi}}, poetry
- {{Cite book |title=Antaranga |last=Bordoloi |first=Nirmal Prabha |author-link=Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi}}, poetry
- {{Cite book|title=Hoimontika|first=Pulok |last=Gogoi}}, novel
- {{Cite book|title=Asomor Satuta Dosokar Chalachitra|last=Deka|first=Pabitra Kumar|author-link=Pabitra Kumar Deka}}, cinema
From 2020 to Present
- {{Cite book|title=Mur Satya Anna Sansthanor Kahini|last=Deka|first=Pabitra Kumar|author-link=Pabitra Kumar Deka}}, humour
- {{Cite book|title=Roopkaror Shrestha Golpo}}, short story collection
- {{Cite book |title=The Big Sleep |last=Deka |first=Prodyut Kumar |author-link=Prodyut Kumar Deka}}, novel
- {{Cite book|title=Past Revisited|first=Prantik |last=Deka}}, cinema
- {{Cite book|title=Kapurusar Taruwal|author-link=Utpal Datta|first=Utpal|last=Datta}}, novel
100 years of Indian Cinema
On the occasion of 100 years of Indian cinema, Roopkar celebrated the occasion by instituting Roopkar Film Festival (RFF), which was held from April 21 to 23, 2013 at the Rudra Barua Auditorium, Jyotichitrabon Complex in Guwahati where the cinematic heritage of the Indian film industry was showcased. Some of the master pieces crafted throughout the century by some of the tallest figures of the fraternity from Satyajt Rays' Nayak to Ramesh Sippy's Sholay were screened. The festival also published a book on cinema essay titled Chalachitra-Samoi-Samaj-Nandanttwa edited by Utpal Datta for the occasion. {{cite web|url=https://assamtimes.org/node/8111|title=‘Roopkar Film Festival to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema’}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:1975 establishments in India
Category:Assamese-language mass media
Category:Defunct magazines published in India
Category:Film magazines published in India
Category:Monthly magazines published in India
Category:Magazines established in 1975
Category:Magazines with year of disestablishment missing
Category:1990s disestablishments in India
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