Subham Pancheswar, Mumbai | The Vigyan Bhawan at New Delhi was lit with ceremony and anticipation on that September afternoon. As his name was called, Utpal Datta walked towards the dais, the hall echoing with applause. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, handed him the Golden Lotus—the Swarna Kamal for Best Film Critic. For a brief moment, time seemed to pause: a son of Assam, carrying decades of dedication to cinema, stood in the national spotlight. It was his second award in the same category, but the emotion was no less profound.
“Any individual award is a personal award, even the Swarna Kamal. But when people celebrate it with me, it grows into something larger—almost a public award. I feel it recognises not just my work but the long and often unspoken journey of Assamese writing on cinema,” he would later reflect.
From Guwahati to the National Scene
Born and raised in Assam, Datta’s early engagement with cinema was not through the glitter of Bombay but through the quieter lanes of Guwahati, where cinema was a cultural mirror rather than mere spectacle. Over the years, he has worn many hats—critic, filmmaker, author, radio professional, and teacher—but his commitment has always been towards treating cinema as art and as a reflection of society.
In his college days, he often lamented the lack of academic resources on cinema in Assamese. This absence became a lifelong motivation. He would later go on to edit the first Assamese book on cinema, a pioneering step that signalled his larger mission: to give film appreciation a literary and academic foundation in his region.
Writing as Criticism, Criticism as Literature
Datta’s writing is where his intellectual and artistic sides meet. In August alone, he brought out two new books—one in Assamese and one in English—both reinforcing his deep engagement with film as text, as art, and as social commentary.
The Assamese book studies the screenplays of Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia, a filmmaker Datta feels has been unjustly underrated. “He was the only filmmaker, besides M. T. Vasudevan Nair, who consistently made films from his own stories and screenplays. Analysing his work through the three-act structure, I attempted to demonstrate how he both adhered to and defied the form. More importantly, I wanted to argue that the screenplay itself deserves recognition as a literary genre,” he explains.
His English anthology, Decoding Films, published by Tridev Publisher, ranges widely: an essay on how Satyajit Ray’s personal memories and experiences resurfaced in his films, a meditation on Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express, and incisive critiques of lesser-known but powerful independent films across India. “The soul of India, I believe, is best heard in regional films made out of passion,” he says. The book has drawn appreciation from across the spectrum—Polish filmmaker Ewa Bukowska penned the preface, while figures such as Rahul Rawail, Anant Mahadevan, Dr. Sanchari Basu Chaudhury, and Dr. S. J. Bhuyan praised its critical depth. The book is available in online platforms worldwide.
The Critic as Teacher
Today, Datta divides his time between writing and teaching. At Assam down town University, he teaches film appreciation to a generation of students who are discovering cinema beyond entertainment. “When I was a student, there were hardly any resources. That is why I now focus on writing books specifically for undergraduates and postgraduates. My main destination is fixed as a film-writer,” he says.
He is currently working on a new book that examines the craft of screenwriting and stage play writing—designed as a resource for postgraduate students of cinema. His academic focus is balanced by his creative pursuits: he continues to plan film projects, including one exploring Assam’s cultural traditions.
A Voice for Assamese and Indian Cinema
In discussing cinema today, Datta’s perspective is both local and global. “Digital platforms have democratised access, giving regional films a global stage. Assamese cinema, once isolated, is now reaching audiences worldwide. Rima Das’s Village Rockstars and Bhaskar Hazarika’s Aamis drew international attention largely through OTT. These platforms allow creative freedom, making room for socially relevant stories that might never have reached the big screen,” he notes.
At the national level, he sees diversity as the hallmark of 21st-century Indian cinema. “Stories from the margins are claiming visibility. This is the best moment for regional cinema to step confidently into wider cultural dialogues,” he asserts.
Beyond Criticism: A Filmmaker’s Touch
While known primarily as a critic, Datta is also a filmmaker in his own right. His directorial ventures have earned him the State Film Award for Best Director twice, establishing him not just as a commentator but as a practitioner of the medium. His dual perspective—as someone who both critiques and creates—adds a unique depth to his writings.
Anchored in Assam, Resonating Beyond
At the heart of it all, Datta remains firmly rooted in Assam. His work, however, resonates far beyond the region, speaking to broader questions about art, culture, and society. Whether through his books, his teaching, or his films, he has consistently championed the idea that cinema is more than spectacle—it is literature, philosophy, memory, and mirror.
As he continues to write, teach, and create, one thing is clear: Utpal Datta’s journey is not only his own. It is also the story of Assamese cinema’s long march towards recognition, and of regional voices finding space on the national and global stage.
For Datta, every award, every book, and every film is part of a larger project—to keep cinema alive not just as entertainment, but as serious art and cultural reflection. And as Indian cinema diversifies in the digital age, voices like his ensure that smaller stories from the corners of the country are not just heard, but remembered.
