His first independent celluloid depiction, Aranya (1971), was based on the dwindling rhinoceros population in Assam.
Putalar Ghar represented the childlike innocence in a young woman and her transitions in life from childhood to adult age.
His father, Bhupendra Narayan Dev, was an honorary magistrate and a member of Legislative Assembly of Assam.
While he was in college he got the opportunity to perform on stage with the likes of the great Bishnu Rabha and Phani Sharma in the drama Siraj.
It was heart-warming for him as it dealt with a subject like wild life protection and was a new experience for the Assamese audience and gained appreciation from them.