Aideu Neelambar to Jerina Boruah: Assamese Films Move on

Dr Ratan Bhattacharjee

(profratanbhattacharjee@gmail.com)

The history of Indian cinema goes back to the nineteenth century. In 1896, the very first films shot by the Lumiere Brothers were shown in Mumbai (then Bombay). But history was actually created when Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatavdekar popularly known as Save Dada, the still photographer, was so much influenced by the Lumiere Brothers' production that he ordered a camera from England. His first film was shot at the Hanging Gardens in Mumbai, known as 'The Wrestlers'. It was a simple recording of a wrestling match which was screened in 1899 and is considered as the first motion picture in the Indian film industry. The Father of Indian Cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke released the first ever full-length feature film 'Raja Harishchandra' in 1913. The silent film was a commercial success. Numerous new production companies emerged in the early 1920s. Films based on mythological and historical facts and episodes from Mahabharata and Ramayana dominated the 20s, but Indian audiences also welcomed Hollywood movies, especially the action films. The first ever talkie 'Alam Ara' by Ardeshir Irani was screened in Bombay in 1931. It was the first sound film in India. Thereafter, several production companies emerged leading to an increase in the release of the number of films. As many as 328 films were made in 1931 as compared to 108 in 1927. During this time, huge movie halls were built and there was a significant growth in the number of audiences. During the 1930s and 1940s many eminent film personalities such as Debaki Bose, Chetan Anand, SS Vasan, Nitin Bose and many others emerged on the scene. The first Bengali feature film 'Nal Damyanti' in 1917 was produced by JF Madan with Italian actors in the leading roles. The year 1919 saw the screening of the first silent South Indian feature film named 'Keechaka Vadham'. The movie was made by R Nataraja Mudaliar of Madras (Chennai). Dadasaheb Phalke's daughter Manadakini was the first female child star who acted as the child Krishna in Phalke's 'Kaliya Mardan' in 1919. The first ever talkie film in Bengali was 'Jamai Shashthi', which was screened in 1931 and produced by Madan Theatres Ltd. 'Kalidas' was the first Tamil talkie which was released in Madras on 31 October, 1931 and directed by HM Reddy. Apart from Bengali and South Indian languages, regional films were also made in other languages such as Assamese, Oriya, Punjabi, Marathi, and many more. But the history of Assamese film is a saga of struggle.

Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwalla, who was also a noted poet, playwright, composer and freedom fighter, was instrumental in introducing the female actress in the first Assamese film 'Joymati' under the banner of Chitralekha Movietone. Here we get a new golden chapter – the journey of the Assamese women in the film industry of Assam. The journey that Aideu Neelambar Handique started reached out to heroines of our time like Jerina Baruah of Zubeen Garg's superhit film 'Kanchenjunga' or Reema Das' 'Village Rockstar' and others. But the courage and fortitude that Aideu Neelambar Handique displayed as the first Assamese film actress in the first Assamese talkie 'Joymati' directed in 1935 was incredible. It was the birth of a new era of regional films and saw the entry of women into the Assamese films. Joymati was the legendary Assamese heroine and martyr. Aideu, who played the role of Joymati, was a teenager at that time as she was born on June 27, 1915. Assam at that time had no film studio, or even cinemas; local actors knew nothing about performing on film and, on stage, men played female roles. In the role of heroine of 'Joymati' she played with courage and fortitude. Aideu Neelambar embodied the quintessential Assamese women of her time. She accepted the role of the first film actress in pioneering filmmaking overcoming family plots and bigotry with courage at a time and place when for women even to go to school, let alone act on screen, was unacceptable. Jyotiprasad Agarwalla advertised in vain in newspapers and toured villages in his quest for a girl prepared to break social shackles and appear before a camera. It is said that an associate of Agarwalla - and Aideu's cousin - showed photographs of Aideu to Agarwalla. The filmmaker was impressed and the teenage girl was lured to the filmmaker's tea estate. Frightened and lonely, Aideu did not want to act. Only with her father's consent did she agree to the film, which included a scene in which she was beaten up. Joymati premiered in 1935, and became a classic, while Aideu's name went down in the annals of Assamese cinema.

With this, a benchmark was set in the film arena. This film was followed by the release of movies like Jyotiprasad Agarwalla's 'Indramalati', Rohini Kumar Baruah's 'Monumoti', Parvati Prasad Baruva's 'Rupahi', Kamal Narayan Choudhury's 'Badan Borphukan', Suresh Chandra Goswami's 'Runumi' and Phani Sarma's 'Siraj'. Assamese cinema left footprints for many others to reminisce its beautiful essence. The 1950's marked the beginning of a new wave in the history of Assamese cinema. Aideu was a comrade of Jyoti Prasad in setting the benchmark for Assamese talkies . But the star never got to see 'Joymati'. There was no local cinema and only 40 years later on a documentary did she see any clips from it. Ironically, like Joymati in the film, Aideu Neelambar in her real life, too, was shunned by neighbours, and sank into solitude and obscurity. Villagers would not drink from the pond from which she fetched water, her family were fined by a kangaroo court and no man would marry her. She remained unmarried because she referred to the co-actor assuming the role of her character's husband as 'Bongohor deo' in the film. Her ostracized life was a reflection of an Assamese society which had failed to recognise her. She never acted after Joymoti again except for a minuscule role in the film 'Ganga Siloni' and a guest appearance in a film made on her life .Only in 1985, when Assam celebrated the golden jubilee of the state's cinema, was her role acknowledged. The East Indian Motion Picture Association had gifted Aideu a wheelchair. The Assam Government, much later, gave her Rs 1,500 a month as pension. It also recommended her name for Padmashri, but was denied the award because she had done only one film. An erratically paid pension was instituted and, in 1991, a girls' school was named after her in her village. An Assamese film 'Aideu (Behind the Screen)' was made on Aideu Handique's tragic life and times of the first Assamese film actress by Arup Manna which was released in the Mumbai International Film Festival on February 8, 2007.

The journey of 'Joymati' was the glorious beginning and yet for the rest of her life spanning more than seven decades Aideo, the heroine of the movie, lived in utter penury. However, today we see the changes in the attitude of the people in general. Now film heroines live a life of glamour. Recognition too started coming for Assamese films. 'Piyoli Phukan', directed by Phani Sarma, fetched the National Award for best regional language film. Nip Baruah, famous director of Assamese film industry, was a luminary of the 1950s. The first movie he directed was 'Smritir Parash'. It was in the 1950s that music legend Dr BhupenHazarika got down to the world of movie direction. 'Era Bator Sur', directed by Dr Bhupen Hazarika created a modern wave, giving a new foundation to Assamese cinema. In 1959, Prabhat Mukherjee's 'Puberun' succeeded in fetching international recognition for the first time. The screening of 'Puberun' in the Berlin Film Festival opened doors to an international platform for Assamese cinema. The 60s and 70s saw another transition in Assamese film making. Different genres of movies including biopics were released in this period. Sarbeswar Chakrabarty's 'Maniram Dewan', Nip Barua's 'Narakasur', Dr Bhupen Hazarika's musical hit 'Shakuntala', 'Pratidhwani', 'Lotighoti', 'Sikmik Bijuli' also peeped in during that period. The first Assamese comedy film, 'Itu Situ Bohutu' by Brajen Barua was released. Brajen Barua's 'Dr Bezbaruah' was the first Assamese thriller which became a commercial blockbuster. In the 70s and 80s, Assamese cinema collected many National Awards. Samarendra Narayan Deb's 'Aranya', Brajen Barua's 'Opoja Sonor Mati', Abjul Majjid's 'Chameli Memsaab', Atul Bordoloi's 'Kallol', Dr Bhadendra Nath Saikia's 'Sandhya Raag' are few of the prominent films of the era, which won Best Regional Film National Awards. All these would not have been possible without the courage shown by Aideu long back in the 1930s when Assam lagged far behind in film industry.