The "Dr." attached to his name was an academic one: he studied Mass Communication at Columbia University and completed a PhD in the early 50s for his work on trying to apply mass communication techniques to Indian education.
He eventually quit a full-time academic position in India to take up music and movies. He did dabble in politics, once serving as an independent MLA (in the late 60s) and once losing a Lok Sabha election as a BJP candidate in 2004.
Who?
[+ Show Answer]
Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, who died in November 2011.
This day last year: Q.99