Aideu Handique

When we see film actresses these days, we often feel it is a life filled with glamour, wealth, love, fans, and whatnot. But it was not the case in the early 20th century. During that time woman didn’t receive the same appreciation and was completely ostracized by society for acting in a public domain as it was considered a cultural taboo. Unbelievable right? Well, this is the story of Aideu Handique - the first film actress of Assam.
Aideu Handique in Joymoti (source: Wikipedia)

Aideu Handique in Joymoti (source: Wikipedia)

Aideu Handique or Aideu Nilambar Handique was born in 1920 in a remote village in Golaghat. Born into a poor family in Panidihingia, Aideu was like any other woman her age. Young and naïve, she had no idea how her life would phase out when she starred in the first Assamese feature film (talkie), “Joymoti”, which was released in March 1935.

Jyotiprasad Agarwala had a lot of difficulty in finding a woman to play the protagonist role in the conservative society of Assam of that time. So, in 1933, Jyotiprasad’s assistant Dimba Gohain lured his niece Aideu on the pretext that she would be taken on a ship ride, took her across the Brahmaputra River to the opposite side of the bank and in the Bholaguri tea estate in Tezpur in Agarwala’s open-air studio Chitrabon. In the unfamiliar environment, she got scared and started crying. When Agarwala learned that Gohain had taken her without her parents' permission, he wrote a telegraph to the little girl's father right away, inviting him to meet him. Her father refused at first, but after much persuasion, he eventually agreed.

Though she earned accolades for her performance, Aideu Handique life was turned upside-down after the film. Back in her village, she was ostracized and even her parents would not let her enter the house for fear of society. She was severely criticized for violating a ‘cultural taboo’ by calling another man ‘Bongohordeo’ meaning husband in the film.

Handique did not get married, rather, she was never given the opportunity to marry since no one wanted to be with a girl who had acted in the public domain. People wouldn’t even drink from the same pond as hers and her family was neglected as well. For several decades, she was forced to live in a cowshed – a thatched hut – at one of her family’s lands in utter poverty. To make matters worse, she never got to see the film, except for a few surviving parts that were screened during the Golden Jubilee of the Assamese Film Industry in 1985. After ‘Joymoti’, she only acted in a minor role in the film ‘Ganga Siloni’ and made a guest appearance in her own biopic.

Joymoti was a symbol of bravery, and the Assam government gives an award ‘Soti Joymoti’ every year to women who have excelled in their respective fields. But the irony is that they forgot the very woman who brought Joymoti to life on screen. Aideu Handique after spending a life in solitude and obscurity passed away on December 17, 2002, after suffering from prolonged illness. The first Assamese actress never received proper recognition for her revolutionary or trendsetting work in the Assamese film industry. Arun Manna who later made a film on her life ‘Aideu’, once said *“It is not only a tribute to the pioneering spirit of Handique, but also the story of the misery she faced.

Written by renowned litterateur Lakshminath Bezbarua, and directed by Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwal “Joymoti” tells the story of an Ahom princess, Joymoti, who sacrificed her life for her husband Gadapani. Gadapani who was the most obvious heir to the throne was forced to flee the kingdom and take refuge in the Naga Hills. The ruling prince, Lora Roja, was on a massive manhunt to kill Gadapani, and when his army failed to locate him, his wife, Joymoti was summoned to the court and was subjected to excruciating torture in the belief that she would reveal her husband’s whereabouts. But she preferred death to betrayal. She did not budge and sacrificed herself to the soil and Gadapani returned to become one of the greatest kings of the Ahom dynasty.

On March 10, 1935, “Joymoti” was premiered in Calcutta’s Rownac Hall under the Chitralekha Movieton banner. Pramathesh Barua, Prithiviraj Kapoor, A K Saigal, and Devaki Kumar Basu were among the notable film personalities who attended the first screening. Joymoti became a ground-breaking film because of its realistic presentation, which was unheard of in 1930s Indian cinema. The film was the first in Indian cinema to use dubbing and re-recording technology and made a genuine effort to include all aspects of Assamese culture.

The first ever Assamese film studio at the Bholaguri Tea Estate (source: wikipedia)

The first ever Assamese film studio at the Bholaguri Tea Estate (source: wikipedia)

Film ‘Joymoti’ during production (source: Wikipedia)

Film ‘Joymoti’ during production (source: Wikipedia)

14 likes

 
Share your Thoughts
Let us know what you think of the story - we appreciate your feedback. 😊
14 Share