Samarendra Narayan Dev is a national award winner veteran film director.[1] His film career, spanning four decades, has also brought laurels and recognition to Assam. His first independent celluloid depiction, Aranya (1971), was based on the dwindling rhinoceros population in Assam. It brought him the National Award in the best feature film category (regional) in 1971.[2]
During 1970s to 1980s Samarendra Narayan Dev made more women centric films. Aranya 1971, and Putalar Ghar 1976, represented women of different social strata. While in Aranya, Bidya Rao played a carefree woman's character. Putalar Ghar represented the childlike innocence in a young woman and her transitions in life from childhood to adult age.[3]