Roopkar to be Published Again!
Rongili Barta- Roopkar, one of the earliest Assamese-language, tabloid-sized monthly magazines devoted to Assamese cinema, theatre, and culture, is poised to make a comeback. Founded in 1975 by the late Pabitra Kumar Deka, an eminent journalist and humorist, the magazine remained an important part of Assam’s cultural landscape until the early 1990s.
During its initial run, Roopkar was the most popular entertainment magazine in Northeast India. The advisors of the magazine were legendary singer-composer Dr Bhupen Hazarika and esteemed writer Nirode Chaudhury. In 1975, the magazine also introduced Assam’s first popular film awards, the Roopkar Awards, further cementing its influence in the regional film industry. Apart from numerous accomplished writers, the Roopkar magazine also featured contributions from a number of emerging writers. In addition to being a publication, the Roopkar magazine, which impacted a generation of readers with its comprehensive wrap-ups of Assam’s art and culture, literary articles and essays, served as a training ground for various aspiring authors interested in cultural journalism. Roopkar was not merely a magazine; it was a fundamental pillar of Art and Literature.
In April 2025, Roopkar will be republished as an Annual Special issue to mark the publication’s 50th anniversary. This revival is being undertaken by Pallabi Borah on behalf of Roopkar Prakashan, with filmmaker and author Prodyut Kumar Deka, son of late Pabitra Kumar Deka, as the editor.
The revival of Roopkar aspires to honour its glorious past while also documenting and promoting Assamese cinema, theatre, and culture for a new generation of readers.