Jyoti Prasad Agarwala (1903-1953)

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala (1903-1953) (Assamese: জ্যোতিপ্ৰসাদ আগৰৱালা) was a playwright, songwriter, poet, writer and film maker from Assam. He is an Assamese cultural icon, deeply revered for his creative vision and output and is popularly called the Rupkonwar (ৰূপ-কোৱঁৰ) of Assamese culture. ^[1] In fact, he is regarded as the founder of Assamese cinema for Joymati (1935) ^[2]. His birthday (January 17) is celebrated as Silpi divas (Artists' Day) in his honor. 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Assamese (অসমীয়া) or Asamiya is the language spoken by some of the natives of the state of Assam in northeast India. ... Assam   (Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a north eastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a part of Guwahati. ... The Culture of Assam is traditionally a hybrid one, developed due to cultural assimilation of different ethno-cultural groups under various politico-economic systems in different periods of pre-history and history. ... Assamese cinema was born in 1935 when Jyoti Prasad Agarwala released his movie Joymoti. ... Joymati (Assamese: জয়মতী, Joimoti), released in 1935, was the first ever Assamese language film. ...

Biography

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala was born on January 17, 1903 to Paramananda Agarwala and Kiranmoyee Agarwala in Tamulbari Tea Estate. He is the nephew of another cultural icon, Chandra Kumar Agarwala. His forefather, Nabrangram Agarwala, had come to Assam in 1811 from the Marwar region in Rajasthan. After completing his studies in various schools in Assam and Calcutta (Kolkata), he matriculated in 1921. He went to Edinburgh in 1926 to study economics, but returned in 1930 before completing his course. On his way back, he spent seven months at the UFA studio in Germany learning film-making. January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1811 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Marwar (मारवाड़) is a region of southwestern Rajasthan state in western India. ... Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. ...   (IPA: [] Bengali: কলকাতা) (formerly  ) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... UFA logo Universum Film AG, better known as Ufa or UFA, was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema during its brief existence from 1917 to 1945. ...

After his return to Assam, he continued his activities for Indian independence that had disrupted his studies earlier and in 1932 he was imprisoned for fifteen months. He established the Chitraban Studio at the Bholaguri Tea Estate and began filming the movie Joymoti around the end of 1933. This was the first film from Assam. The film, released in 1935, was based on a play by Laxminath Bezbarua about a heroic Ahom princess imprisoned and tortured by a repressive Ahom swargadeo. In 1936 he married Devajani Bhuyan. In 1941 he participated in the freedom movement, and in 1942, he went underground to escape British repression. Toward the end of his life he moved from a romantic to a more radical vision, which was reflected in his works.^[3] Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Assam   (Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a north eastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a part of Guwahati. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Laxinath Bezbarua (Assamese_language লক্ষীনাথ বেজবৰুৱা, Born: 1868 Died: 1938 ) is a prominant personality of Assamese Literature. ... The Ahoms established the Ahom kingdom (1228-1826) in parts of present-day Assam and ruled it for nearly 600 years. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ...

He died of cancer on January 17, 1951 at Tamulbari Tea Estate. January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ...

Works

Songs

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala had written around 300 songs, many of which he had set to music himself. Collectively, these songs are called Jyoti xongit.^[4]

Plays

• Sonit Kuwori
• Karengar ligiri
• Rupalim
• Nimati Kanaya or Rupkonwar
• Sonpakhilee
• Lavita
• Khanikar
• Kanaklata
• Sundarknowar
• Sonit Kunwari
• Karengar Ligiri
• Lobhita
• Rupalim

Film

Agarwala putting the finishing touches to the editing of Joymati

Agarwala is lauded as the creator of Assamese cinema. In a period that saw the beginning of Indian Cinema, with the making of numerous mythological themed movies, Agarwala created a movie that was nationalistic in character. Joymati (Assamese: জয়মতী, Joimoti), released in 1935, was the first ever Assamese language film. ...

• Joymoti^[5] (1935)
• Indramalati^[6] (1939)

Joymati (Assamese: জয়মতী, Joimoti), released in 1935, was the first ever Assamese language film. ... Indramalati is the second ever Assamese language film, directed by Assam poet Jyotiprasad Agarwala. ...

Poems

• Jyoti Raamaayon - Poetry Collection
• Luitor Paaror Agnixur - Poetry Collection, 1971

Others

• Background of Assamese Architecture

Stamp

In honor of Agarwala's contributions to Assamese literature and film, the Government of Assam issued a commemorative stamp of Agarwala in 2004. It was pushed for by the AGP and approved by the Prime Minister of India in mid-2004. ^[7] The Government of Assam is the provincial government of Assam. ... Asom Gana Parishad (Assam Peoples Association), political party in Assam, India. ...

References

External Links