By Sivasish ThakurGOHPUR (Biswanath), May 26: The hallowed precincts from which the Assamese film industry sprouted under the pioneering endeavour of Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwala nearly a century back wear a blank look today. This is despite the unique potential this space has to be transformed into a heritage memorial-cum-museum centering on the genius of Jyotiprasad and the journey of the Assamese film industry.It was at the Chitraban Film Studio located at the Bholaguri tea estate of Gohpur where the first Assamese film, Joymoti, was shot in 1934.The innovator that Jyotiprasad was, he converted the tea factory into a makeshift yet well-equipped studio, together with a dark room (lab) for processing.Asam Sahitya Sabha president Dr Surjya Kanta Hazarika said that converting the studio into a memorial would perfectly showcase and honour the genius of Jyotiprasad who defied odds of his times – technological, societal and others – to script the first Assamese film.“It was an epic accomplishment considering the daunting constraints. The best way to honour this legend is to recreate the space and times of the making of Joymoti. How he made the film in the face of heavy odds can be a subject for study and research for people from outside the country too, and a museum would best facilitate such research,” he said, adding that it would enhance literary and cultural tourism in Assam.We need to zealously preserve and showcase Assam’s heritage-soaked assets before a global audience for analysis, assessment and aesthetics. A well-preserved Chitraban Studio will carry forward his legacy for posterity,” he added.While the studio was a hub of activities during the making of Joymoti, today it wears a completely deserted look whereas with some intervention from the State Government and the cultural fraternity, it could have been transformed into a heritage museum, chronicling the almost-a-century journey of Assamese films.“Some personal belongings of Jyotiprasad together with the objects and machinery used in the early days of filmmaking can also be showcased here,” an employee of the tea estate told this correspondent during a visit to the film studio.The studio saw some renovation in 2017 under the initiative of then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal but things have not moved since.Entrepreneur and writer Pranjit Agarwala, a nephew of the legendary filmmaker and Assamese cultural icon, however, believes that merely converting the studio into a museum or memorial will not serve much purpose unless the ailing tea estate is also given a fresh lease of life.“The whole of Bholaguri TE is intrinsically linked to the making of Joymoti and a holistic effort to recreate its times must take into account the well-being of the tea garden too. The garden and the film studio form a collective and inalienable heritage. Most of the outdoor shootings were done in the garden and its peripheral areas. Unfortunately, the garden has been in the red for quite some time and runs the risk of closure in the next five years unless the Government intervenes pragmatically,” he saidOnce a thriving garden established by Gopal Chandra Agarwala in 1921, Bholaguri TE was given on lease to the Government-owned Assam Tea Corporation in 1974. It was also the first tea garden set up by a native on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, adding another slice of heritage to it.“I had submitted a proposal to ATC last year for a collaborative maintenance of the garden and turn it into an economically-viable unit. Input is lacking in the garden and I am prepared to provide inputs. Matters such as health of the bushes, labour work culture, etc., need improvement. The workers are willing. Together we can improve and sustain its heritage if the Government is supportive,” he said.While the garden originally spanned an area of 222 hectares, flood-induced siltation from the Balijan river has rendered 74 hectares uncultivable. It currently has a worker strength of 209 together with 11 staff and 7 sub-staff.“There is also a proposal to set up the Kanaklata University on the unproductive part of the garden and we welcome that initiative. Having the Quit India movement martyr’s name will enrich us,” Agarwala said.
Ocean of Knowledge