HR0674 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0674 LRB099 13273 GRL 37185 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Prashant Bhargava; and

WHEREAS, Prashant Bhargava was an acclaimed filmmaker and commercial director known for revealing the extraordinary in the ordinary; and

WHEREAS, Prashant Bhargava's films are anthems of the underground; his canvas is the rambunctious, fascinating, ever-changing globe; and

WHEREAS, Prashant Bhargava was born and raised on the south side of Chicago and, by his own telling, was "one of the first South Asians worldwide to emerge from the hip hop movement as a graffiti artist"; growing up on the South Side was his most beloved calling card; and

WHEREAS, Prashant Bhargava graduated in 1994 from Cornell University, where he studied computer science; he also studied theatrical directing in New York at the Barrow Group Theater Company and School and at the Actors Studio; he later designed and directed video advertising for NBC and PBS; and

WHEREAS, Prashant Bhargava's most recent work, a work with composer Vijay Iyer entitled Radhe Radhe, was commissioned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring; and

WHEREAS, Prashant Bhargava's feature-length directorial debut, Patang, received 4 stars from Roger Ebert and selection as a critics pick by the New York Times and Los Angeles Times; his other directorial efforts include Sangam, Ammaji, Backwaters, and Kashmir; and

WHEREAS, Prashant Bhargava's greatest triumph was his unbounded love and devotion to his parents, Vijay and Ranjana, his sister, Anurimal, his family and friends, and the countless many he encountered on his journey who, with his dancing eyes, playful spirit, and mystic truth telling, he left cherished and inspired; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the premature passing of Prashant Bhargava and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Prashant Bhargava as an expression of our deepest sympathy.