Bihu

November 2009 Features Madhurima Goswami Choudhury

mosaic

Madhurima passionately loves dancing, singing and acting. Her first Guru was her late father Dharmakanta Mahanta. Her father taught her Satriya dance and Borgeet. She had also learnt Borgeet under the guidance of Probhat Sharma and Krishna Goswami. From her childhood, she has loved Satriya dance, Bihu dance and Borgeet. She also loves reading. Ashimat Jar Heral Sima (written by noted novelist Kanchan Baruah) is her all time favourite and Phiringoti (The Spark), directed by internationally acclaimed Assamese director Jahnu Baruah, is her favourite Assamese film.

She graduated in Arts from Handique Girls’ College, Guwahati. In 1983, she entered Assamese movies for the first time through Rajeswar Bordoloi, one of her family’s well-wishers and enacted the role of the heroine in the film Shri Shri Maa Kamakhya – directed by Anowar Hussain (Nirupam). Madhurima has played different roles as a successful and popular actress in various Assamese films like Krishnachura, Joneda Iman Gunda, Ahir Bhairab, Joymati, Hiar Daponat Tomarei Chabi, Maya Bidhata, Kanyadan, Hia Dia Nia, etc. The names of the popular cds/dvds, where she has performed are Jonbai, Bogitara, Papori, Bohagor Nachani, Kamala Kunwari, Natun Boari, Nargis, Preyashi, Sahu Aai, Satabdi and Bedanai Uchupe. The names of the popular TV serials in which she has acted include – Eyeto Jivan, Chour, Ritu Ahe Ritu Jay, Man Aranya, Suruj Mukhir Sapna, Pratichhabi, Kalsandhya and the most popular Nishar Nayak.

She has won a number of awards – including the Moonlight Media Award for best actress – and was felicitated by a large number of organisations of the State and abroad.

In 2008-09, she had participated in the famous Raj Tilak Theatre. This year also she has joined the Rajmahal Theatre set up by her husband Paresh Choudhury. Even after her marriage, Madhurima was encouraged by the members of her husband’s family, including her father-in-law and mother-in-law, to continue her acting. Madhurima has proved herself as an ideal housewife and a loving and responsible mother of two children. She is teaching her daughter, Mridutrishna Odissi, Satriya dance and acting to continue the tradition and culture of their family in the days to come. The people of Assam expect Madhurima to continue her eventful journey in the field of cinema and mobile theatre for preserving and showcasing the rich culture of the North East before the people of our country and abroad.

Nipan Sharma

Madhurima Goswami Choudhury, the popular actress of the State, is well-known among the Assamese movie, mobile theatre and dance lovers of Assam. She is a brilliant and gorgeous actress of Assamese films. She is also an expert dancer of Bihu and Satriya. She is a regular singer of Borgeet in AIR, Guwahati. At present, she is an invaluable presence in the mobile theatre circuit of the State, too. She has all the qualities of a superstar and is a talented actress of Assamese movies.

Madhurima Goswami was born in Guwahati and comes from a cultural, liberal and socially influential family. Her strengths are her father – late Dharmakanta Mahanta of the famous Saudkuchi Satra of Jorhat and businessman husband Paresh Choudhury. All her family members, including her parents, husband and children – Amitraj and Mridutrishna, have encouraged her throughout her acting career in Assamese films and mobile theatre. At present, her husband is busy launching a new theatre named Rajmahal Theatre.

She was conferred the Bihu Rani Award for the first time in the Bihu Rani competition held in Guwahati in 1979. In 2008, she was selected as Bihu Guru under the Guru Sishya Parampara scheme, NEZCC, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. From 1999 to 2004, she had participated as an instructress of Bihu dance workshops at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati. She had also participated in Bihu dance workshops in Birmingham and Wales (UK) at the request of the Assam Sahitya Sabha, UK branch and Assam Association of UK. She participated as a Bihu dancer in the First Afro-Asian Games, Hyderabad in 2003. She was a member of the North East Film Censor Board for three years and also participated in the World Dance Festival, Wales (UK) in 2006 as a Bihu and Satriya dancer.