AWARDS - Directorate of Film Festivals

75Best Male Playback Singer/loksZÙke xk;dRajat Kamal and cash prize of ` 50,000/-Rupam IslamPROFILEBorn in a family of musicians Rupam Islam gave his firstperformance when he was merely four years old, with his parent’sChoir band, ‘Jhankar Shilpi Goshthhi’. By the time he was nine,he was already an empanelled child artiste for Aakashvani andDoordarshan. He graduated in English from Calcutta Universityand went on to pursue a Bachelors in Education. Later, he taughtat a primary school children for 11 years. In 1998, two majorbreakthroughs occurred, first, he released his first solo album‘Tor Bhorshate’ and then his band, FOSSILS. Within five years,the band became one of the most popular rock bands in Kolkata.Rupam, as the lyricist, singer and composer is the face of theband.