(Above) Jnanada Kakati receives the lifetime achievement award at Prag Cine Awards from lyricist Keshav Mahanta. Picture by S.H. Patgiri (Below) Jnanada receives the President?s award from S. Radhakrishnan

As the sun sets on the busy vegetable market at Hatigarh Chariali in Guwahati, Jnanada Kakati, the beautiful actress of yesteryears and recipient of the lifetime achievement award at the recently-held Prag Cine Awards, heads for her daily shopping trip.

With son Utpal in tow, Jnanada is greeted by fans even on the way to the market.

?I love doing things on my own and perhaps that?s why I am still fit and fine,? laughs the septuagenarian.

?Even in Shillong, my permanent abode, doing household chores to attending public meetings, I always make it a point to remain in the forefront and take an active part.?

A veteran actor, with more than 21 films to her credit, including four in Bengali, the power-packed performer will remain an inspiration for generations of actors to come. A combination of beauty and grace, with a mesmerising voice, Jnanada joined the industry at a time when a woman actor was unheard of and men played the female parts.

The Prag Cine lifetime achievement award was not only to honour her immense acting skills but also her capacity to stand against all odds.

The veteran actor is happy with the honour. ?I am very happy to receive the award and am thankful to Prag Cine Awards for still remembering my work,? she says.

?This award is an honour for a host of film artistes of my time, who, in spite of facing tremendous hardship and without any monetary benefit whatsoever, continued to pursue their love for the craft of filmmaking.? Awards she has received galore, including the President?s award for Puberun.

Born and brought up in Shillong, Jnanada finds it hard to remain away from the tranquil and calm environment of the hill station for too long.

?Although I love Assam and often come to Guwahati to visit my son and a host of relatives and friends, Shillong is special and no place has that mystic charm of belonging as Shillong,? she gushes. ?Moreover, Shillong gives me a chance to go down the memory lanes and relive the favourite chapters of childhood memories.?

As a young girl, Jnanada was in love with dance and acting. However, she received little appreciation, let alone support from her family to pursue her interests, as the emphasis was on studies.

But passion dies hard and she even lied to her parents to watch cultural functions in her neighbourhood.

She used to watch the theatre performances from backstage at Assam Club in Shillong and secretly enacted those scenes in her house.

As a student in Laban Assamese School, she won numerous awards for acting, singing and dancing. At one of her functions, Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, personally congratulated her for her performance and urged her pursue her dream. ?I still feel that it was due to the blessings of Kalaguru that I have succeeded in making a mark in the film industry, in spite of all odds,? she reflects.

Jnanada got married after marticulation, and like most women of her time she thought her forbidden passion for acting needed to be kept under wraps.

But destiny has other plans for her. Her husband, Lohit Kakati, was not only a musician of great calibre, he was the person who encouraged and inspired her to hone her skills.

Once, during a trip to Guwahati, when the Kakati couple was enjoying an evening stroll, a friend of Lohit?s offered a role to Jnanada. Although her parents were opposed to her decision to work in films, Jnanada agreed to take up the offer on her husband?s insistence.

In 1948 was released her first film, Par Ghat, opposite legendary actor Chandra Phukan.

The film was directed by Bhuban Das with the assistance from Kalyan Gupta.

?My parents raised a hue and cry after I told them my decision to act in films as it was considered almost profane for a married lady to work in films,? she says.

?I feel myself to be very lucky for having a husband who not only accompanied me to different locales for shooting but also encouraged me to build my career as an artiste.?

However, it was Prabhat Mukherjee?s path-breaking celluloid drama Puberun which shot Jnanada to international fame. In the sixties, she represented India at the Berlin film festival, the only Indian to do so that year.

Jnanada still fondly reminisces that rare opportunity of hobnobbing with the best actors, directors and technicians from all over Europe and Hollywood.

?I still vividly recall the reception at Berlin airport, the Germans have great respect for artistes and being a native of the land of Gandhi and Nehru, I received a great welcome,? she reminisces. ?At times I still feel like going back to those days, the best moments of my life.?

The Berlin festival was the high point of her life as an actress.

Her popularity as a danseuse made the then Hollywood heartthrob Cary Grant invite her to a ball during the film festival. Egyptian actress Fatema Hamama became a friend for a lifetime.

?There I watched many international classics and that really helped me to hone my skills as an actress in my later films,? she says.

Back home, her last two films were Priyojon and Bidyut Chakraborty?s national award-winning film Raag Birag. ?Although for several years now I have not faced the camera, I eagerly wait for a good script with a powerful role to come my way,? she says.

?The void after the death of my husband still lingers, but my daughter and son are simply great and they are like two pillars of support in my life,? she smiles.

As acting has now taken a back seat, Kakati is actively involved with the Indian Council for Social Welfare in Shillong where she works with Khasi women. She is also an active member of Lekhika Samoroh at Laban.

?Whenever loneliness grips me and I have the urge to come down to Guwahati to meet my son, I pack my bags and stay in the city for some time,? she says.

?But staying away from the pristine beauty of Shillong is hard and my home is where my heart and memories are treasured.?