'Roi Roi Binale' wins hearts, but Assam’s 1st cinema hall Jonaki sits in silence

Tezpur, Nov 2: Zubeen Garg’s dream film Roi Roi Binale was released with unmatched enthusiasm and commendations in every movie theatre across the State. However, his dream of screening the film in the State’s first and historic cinema hall ‘Jonaki’ here remained unfulfilled.

This has left all section of people in a state of disappointment. Expressing their annoyance over the matter and the government’s alleged failure to revive ‘Jonaki’, the public here has demanded that immediate steps be taken by the government towards restoring the historic cinema hall. The public has cautioned the government and the State’s cultural department that dismissing the demand would be met with vigorous democratic movement in the days to come.

Ahead of release of the much awaited film, a team of Tezpur unit of AASU led by its secretary Debanjan Pathak visited the ‘Jonaki’ cinema hall and expressed dissatisfaction before the media over its dilapidated state. Calling out the government’s and the local MLA Prithvi Raj Rava’s alleged failure in regard to the historic movie theatre, Debanjan Pathak said, “It is painful that the Tezpur people failed to enjoy the first show of Zubeen Garg’s last and dreamed picture Roi Roi Binale at the historic and State’s first cinema hall ‘Jonaki’ due to its dilapidated and neglected condition.”

It needs to be mentioned here that ‘Jonaki’, which is not merely movie theatre but a symbol of pride for the region and its residents, has been in a deplorable condition for many decades. It has been languishing under neglect and indifference of the government for too long.

Established in 1937, ‘Jonaki’ is not just the oldest movie theatre in the region but is also a testament to the visionary spirit of Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, the luminous pioneer of Assamese cinema. After completing the first Assamese film, Joymoti in 1935, Jyoti Prasad realised that there was no permanent cinema hall in Assam for regular screening of films. Therefore, he embarked on the arduous journey to build Assam’s first movie theatre in his hometown, Tezpur. Despite skepticism from a section of people, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala pushed forward with the construction of ‘Jonaki’ cinema hall using iron trusses, bricks, lime paste and wooden balconies.

The hall was metaphorically named ‘Jonaki’ for bringing light and entertainment to people. It was inaugurated formally with the screening of a British film titled Elephant Boy starring Sabu Dastagir, in 1937. The movie turned out to be a crowd puller, marking the beginning of a cinematic culture in the region. However, history reveals that though Jonaki cinema hall had an initial run of success, its fortunes began to dwindle due to the limited audience in the small town of Tezpur, and faced challenges of sustaining a regular film exhibition business.

As Jyoti Prasad Agarwala started focusing on other cultural and political activities, ‘Jonaki’ was handed over on lease to Abdul Hussain, a local businessman, but the business continued to decline. Ultimately, the British government cancelled Jonaki’s licence due to structural weakness. However, it was reopened by Hridayananda Agarwala in 1941 after a series of renovations and repairs, with a screening of Block Head, a Laurel and Hardy classic. “Hridayananda’s dedication kept Jonaki afloat, even during World War II, when Tezpur became a hub for the Allied soldiers who frequented the cinema hall,” said a local senior citizen, adding that Jonaki remained an important cultural landmark, witnessing the highs and lows of Assamese cinema.

By the 1960s, Assamese cinema was thriving and Jonaki expanded its seating capacity to 1,000. As television and home videos became more accessible in the 1980s and 1990s, single-screen theatres like ‘Jonaki’ faced tough competition. Despite these challenges, the Agarwala family continued to persevere. In 2009, ‘Jonaki’ embraced the digital era, screening Slumdog Millionaire as its first digital presentation. This step revitalised the cinema hall, drawing in new audiences and regenerating its past glory.

It is important to note here that when the culture of multiplexes started dominating, Jonaki’s legacy remained a testament to the pioneering spirit that gave birth to Assam’s cinematic journey. It is unfortunate that this symbol of pride now languishes in a decaying state with just a handful of cine-goers visiting, and barely any financial returns.

The Assam State Film Finance and Development Corporation Limited reportedly came forward to revive ‘Jonaki’ with a renovation package of Rs 65 lakh seven years ago. Records reveal that the fund was sanctioned, and primary renovation activities started in 2019 without much concrete changes beyond the stage.

Significantly, Zubeen Garg had dreamt to see ‘Jonaki’ it in a new look and had even assured all possible assistance in the matter. With the untimely demise of the cultural icon, his dream remains unfulfilled and ‘Jonaki’ lies neglected.

Conscious citizens of Tezpur have urged the government to take necessary steps for reviving the historic movie theatre and keep Agarwala’s memory alive besides fulfilling Zubeen Garg’s dream.