Meghalaya: Noted filmmaker Tarun Bhartiya passes away at 54 in Shillong

Tarun Bhartiya, a renowned filmmaker, poet, and social activist, passed away on the morning of January 25 at Woodland Hospital in Shillong, Meghalaya, after suffering a heart attack. He was 54.

The noted documentary filmmaker is survived by his wife and social activist Angela Rangad and their three children, including two sons and a daughter. 

As Bhartiya leaves behind a profound legacy in filmmaking and art, his works like The Brief Life of Insects (2015) and The Last Train in Nepal (2015), among others, will continue to inspire, ensuring his memory lives on through them.

Tarun Bhartiya has several accolades to his name. In 2009, he was recognised with a National Film Award for 'Best Editing' for his documentary In Camera: Diaries of a Documentary Cameraman.

Highlighting his unacceptance of the division and intolerance in India, Bhartiya, in 2015, returned his Rajat Kamal award to then-President Pranab Mukherjee.

Bhartiya was also a poet who practiced mostly in Hindi, with his work featured in notable anthologies such as Dancing Earth: Contemporary Poetry from Northeast India.

Through his art, activism, and words, Bhartiya’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations to question, reflect, and create.