Utpal Datta


Utpal Datta is a National Film Award-winning film critic. He has been associated with Bismoi, an entertainment Assamese magazine; Rangghar, a cultural monthly; and Roopkar, a cultural monthly. He later joined the All India Radio Guwahati, where his book 24 Frames, an anthology of articles on Indian cinema, was released as a radio program.

Personal life

Utpal Datta earned his Masters in Arts from Guwahati University. Later he earned a post-graduate diploma in Marketing Management. He started his career as a local reporter with Natun Asomiya, a weekly newspaper. Later he joined Roopakar as photographer and reporter. He was later sub-editor of Bismoi, the largest circulated monthly of the northeast, and Assistant Editor of Rangghar, a cultural monthly published from Bismoi Prakashan.
For a few years he represented Assam as a special correspondent to Cinema India International. At present he is Asst Director of All India Radio at RANCHI station, the public service broadcaster of India. He has served other AIR stations like Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Williamnagar, Haflong, Guwahati and Ranchi.
He has directed one impressionistic short film, By-Lane2, based on the works of Assamese film journalist Pabitra Kumar Deka. The film was selected for several Film Festivals and for Indian Panorama 2013. His second film is Through Trust and Fear, based on the philosophy of Assamese writer Nirupama Barghohain. This film was produced by Mihir Goswami. Datta's third film, Borgeet - Eti Dhrupadi Ratna, is based on the borgeets of Assam.
His latest non feature film BOHUBRITTA was screened in several International Film Festivals.. His first venture in Feature Film is Ji Galpar Ses Nai, an anthology film with Prodyut Kumar Deka and Prasant Saikia.
He is the President of a film society named CHALACHITRAM and Festival Director of Chalachitram National Film Festival.
He is married to Namrata Datta, a writer; they live in Guwahati with their daughter Ragamala.

Books

Original work