Shocked by the demise of Swarna Kamal awardee, film critic and founder member CATA, RK Bidur, the Cine Artist and Technicians’ Association (CATA), Manipur on Thursday expressed deep condolences and shared the grief of the bereaved family.
RK Bidur, who was undergoing treatment at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal, succumbed to post COVID-19 complications on Wednesday, CATA stated in a release.
RK Bidur was born on October 17, 1941 at Nongmeibung Wangkheirakpam Leikai in Imphal East as the fourth child to late RK Haimosana and late Bidhumukhi. He worked as a government employee and retired as an assistant account officer, it added.
A staunch and steadfast cinephile, RK Bidur was one of the key founding members of CATA, one of the oldest film organisations in the state, CATA stated. He was also the first Manipuri to join the prestigious Film Appreciation Course of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, it added.
A person who decoded the silver screen for many movie goers and film lovers, RK Bidur was widely appreciated for his comprehensive knowledge of the history of Manipuri cinema and his honest and explicit analysis and his ability to focus cultural relativity in cinema, CATA mentioned. It further stated that he had been honoured with several awards for his writings on films and literature including the Best Film Critic Award (Swarna Kamal) at the 56th National Film Awards in 2008.
His demise is an incalculable loss to the entire film fraternity of Manipur and to the world of Manipuri cinema as a whole, CATA stated. He will remain etched in our hearts and in the cinematic history of Manipur forever, it added.
