Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi inaugurates the film museum at Panjabari in Guwahati on Sunday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, Dec. 29: A dress worn by actress Bidya Rao in Loti Ghoti (1966) and a 16-mm Steenbeck used by veteran director Jahnu Barua to edit his films will be just a few of the gems displayed at the first film museum in the Northeast.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi inaugurated the museum at the Assam State Film (Finance and Development) Corporation Ltd complex at Panjabari here.

The museum will provide visitors with a glimpse into the history of Assamese cinema and knowledge of the working of equipment required in filmmaking.

The museum has cassette recorders, gramophones, cameras, a 16-mm projector and information, like the names of the winners of State Film Award, evolution of cinema and the history of 75 years of Assamese cinema.

It has been set up at a cost of over Rs 50 lakh.

“This museum will help people know about Assamese films. I am proud that Assam is the first in the Northeast to have such a museum,” said chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

A 13-minute short film directed by Prabin Hazarika, featuring clips from different films, will be kept in the museum.

Award-winning movies will also be screened.

The chairperson of the corporation, Bobbeeta Sharma, said the posters displayed in the museum have been bought from the personal collection of one Prafulla Dutta.

“The museum is a product of at least three years of our efforts,” said Sharma.

Filmmakers Timothi Das Hanse and Jahnu Barua have donated equipment to the museum.

Assam cultural affairs minister Pranati Phukan and Hindi and Marathi film director Amol Palekar attended the inauguration ceremony.

Palekar said though regional cinema has an immense contribution, people have the tendency to identify Bollywood movies alone as Indian cinema.

In 2011, the corporation inaugurated the Northeast’s first and the country’s third film archive for the preservation of film prints on the lines of National Film Archive, Pune.

Sharma said they are working to set up a 300-seat theatre at the complex to be used for film festivals only.

“We have many plans. The state government has released the first instalment of funds to set up the hall,” said Sharma.