The death of Assamese cinema’s first heroine Aideu Handique has marked the end of an era — in the true sense of the term.

One will always wonder what magic the actress — who had just one film to her credit — possessed to have remained at the top throughout the 82 years of her life. There is no denying that Aideu Handique during her lifetime could earn more respect and admiration from the masses and generate more media hype than any other performing artiste connected with reel life in Assam. Her performance as the protagonist in Joymati, the first Assamese film made by Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwalla in 1935, was never critically analysed because there was no trend of criticism in Assam then.

Later, when the trend began, Aideu Handique remained out of purview simply because Joymati was never screened before viewers.

After Joymati’s box office doom, Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwalla was cornered by his co-financiers and family members, compelling him to lead a reclusive life. Perhaps the most traumatic part, for Assamese cinema too, is that when this genius died in 1951 at the age of 48, no one took pains to preserve the print of Joymati.

Apart from artistic talent, serious in-depth involvement with the film Joymati and unconditional respect and loyalty for Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwalla, Aideu Handique obviously had the qualities of a superior human being because of which she could command respect and admiration of the highest order from the masses. It is this that will probably keep her name alive forever in the arena of Assamese filmdom.

In the beginning, when Handique realised that she had been chosen to act in a film she broke down for fear of being socially ostracised. Even Jyotiprasad Agarwalla’s efforts to console her went in vain. But the 14-year-old village belle readily agreed when her father gave his consent, proving that she was aware of here family pride. However, when Handique returned from the shooting, she found that her family had been ostracised. She remained a spinster all her life — never lamenting or repenting.

In yet another incident, Handique was badly beaten up by a co-artiste during a shot, so much so that Jyotiprasad Agarwalla had to intervene. Handique was naturally agitated and wanted to walk out of the film. But when the co-artiste apologised, she forgave him in the larger interest of the film — such was her maturity.

Rong Sarmah