Bhupen Hazarika: As I Knew Him

by Kalpana Lajmi

We all know Bhupen Hazarika as a singer-composer, poet and lyricist nonpareil. What about the man behind the legend? Kalpana Lajmi met Bhupen Hazarika when she was only seventeen. He was forty-five. She was with Bhupen Hazarika when he breathed his last, at the age of eighty-five. It was by all accounts a tumultuous relationship that defied convention. A film-maker in her own right, who directed critically acclaimed films like Ek Pal, Rudaali and Darmiyaan, Kalpana devoted her life to managing his career and putting together his vast body of work for a museum in his name, after getting into a live-in relationship with him when still in her teens. At the age of eighty, Hazarika offered to marry her, but she refused. Told through the lens of Kalpana Lajmi, this free-flowing memoir, moving back and forth across time, defies description, much like the love story it narrates. Bhupen As I Knew Him is the story of a charismatic and passionate man who used his art as an instrument for social change, and a woman, a fierce feminist, who has never cared much about societal norms, and yet who stood by him despite his mercurial ways, unreasonable tantrums and his unwillingness to recognize her as a companion. Lajmi s no-holds- barred narrative provides an unforgettable glimpse of the man behind the legend.

244 pages, Paperback

Published October 31, 2018

Reviews

[beyond_ad · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can be said and what has not been said about Bhupen Hazarika aka Sudhakantha? Many of us have grown up listening and singing his songs since our childhood (and we still do). His artistic contribution in the field of Indian, as well as world music and culture, is unparallel. He had been in the public eye for a really long time because of his path-breaking work. However, Bhupen-da’s personal life had always been opaque especially his relationship with his lifelong partner Kalpana Lajmi and his wife Priyam Hazarika. Shedding some light on these unexplored territories is Kalpana Lajmi’s book ‘Bhupen Hazarika As I Knew Him’. Lajmi’s book is an unapologetic tribute to the life of Bhupen-Da as well as his work. The book has an anecdotic structure which at times has a non-linear narrative. As reflected through her persona, Lajmi does not mince her words nor she tries to associate any kind of moral high ground. To know about the unpredictability of Bhupen-Da’s nature and his fits of anger which even sometimes became physical left me bewildered. Equalling surprising were the dysfunctional familial dynamics that Bhupen-Da shared with his blood relatives and their disgust towards Lajmi. The book explores the unconventional relationship between Lajmi and Bhupen-da that defied social norms. But above all the book beautifully dissects their individual struggles and how they were both dependent on each other. These attributes make this work very honest and relatable. However, it must be pointed out that the book suffers from a couple of drawbacks such as occasional typos and difficulties to follow the flow due to convoluted narrative. The book is extremely candid and at times explicit. The readers would be extremely delighted reading this. Highly recommended.

[Sonya Dutta Choudhury · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Assamese doctor musician friend Pankhi, gave me this book ; the story of Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika, written by his consort , his partner, his 'constant' the film maker Kalpana Lajmi.
The talented Ms. Lajmi, niece of the legendary actor Guru Dutt , first met the singer when she was a fat, tomboyish 19 year old. She promptly fell in love , following the singer wherever he went , playing second fiddle to his career.
Her happiest years , she says, were when the duo worked together . It was then that Ms. Lajmi made her award winning films like Ek Pal and Rudaali.
The book is endearingly because it is so candid, because of the many stories it tells, and because of its honest portrait of a fantastic artist with his deep core of selfish narcisism.
At the end of it you can't help thinking , do you need to be selfish and narcissistic to achieve greatness? The answer from this book at least, seems a yes.

[Jyoti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a great admired of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. After reading this book, I can felt his emotion more clearly. A great human being, but may be he was lonely from inside.

[Rajeeb Baruah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's sad that he didn't get the respect he deserved while he was alive. Kalpana Lazmi, you have shown great courage to take care of him. Both of you should be happy up there in heaven.