Guwahati, Sept 29: For Aminul Hoque, a spot boy in the Assamese film industry for the last 36 years, Saturday evening was truly unforgettable.
“I’m so happy today to be recognized for what I do. I have never felt so important in my life,” Aminul told The Assam Tribune after receiving the prestigious Unsung Heroes Award from the Jeevan Ram Mungi Devi Goenka Public Charitable Trust. The ceremony took place at the historic Sudmersen Hall of Cotton University, Guwahati.
In addition to Aminul, the award was also presented to veteran actress Hira Neog and technician Nirmal Deka. Each recipient received a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and a trophy in recognition of their contributions to the film industry.
Aminul, whose career spans almost three decades, has worked with almost every notable Assamese filmmaker, from Jahnu Barua to Bhabendra Nath Saikia. “I’ve also worked with Zubeen Garg,” he added, clearly elated. It was a rare moment for him to be interviewed by a journalist. “I’m so thankful to Shankar Lall Goenka and his trust for recognizing our work. It means so much to us,” Aminul said. The awards were handed over by Ravi Kota, Shankar Lall Goenka and Siddarth Goenka in the presence of acclaimed filmmaker Jahnu Barua.
Hira Neog and Nirmal Deka were equally thrilled to receive the honor in front of a gathering of film personalities and top officials from Assam, including Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, Principal Secretary B. Kalyan Chakravarthy, and Cotton University Vice-Chancellor Ramesh Chandra Deka.
Siddharth Goenka, trustee of the Jeevan Ram Mungi Devi Goenka Public Charitable Trust, explained that the aim of the awards was to honour those who work behind the scenes, making life easier and better for others.
How Kelvin Cinema inspired Jahnu Barua:
Jahnu Barua, a stalwart of Assamese cinema and a respected figure in the Indian film industry, reflected on his early inspirations. Barua, known for classics such as ‘Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai’ (The Catastrophe), ‘Firingoti’ (The Spark), ‘Ajeyo, Konikar Ramdhenu’ (Ride on the Rainbow), and ‘Xagoroloi Bohu Door’ (It’s a Long Way to the Sea), shared how he was inspired by the Kelvin Cinema Hall in Guwahati. Built in 1935 by Shankar Lall Goenka’s father, Jeevan Ram Goenka, the hall was one of the oldest in Eastern India.
“I watched a film festival at the Kelvin Cinema Hall when I was very young, and that was what inspired me to make films. The credit goes to Shankar Lall Goenka and his father,” Barua recalled.
Barua also remembered an unusual moment when Shankar Lall Goenka handed him the novel ‘Ashirbador Rong’ by Arun Sharma, asking if it could be made into a film. “It’s rare for a producer to come up to a director with such a suggestion, but Goenka ji did that. He’s a visionary,” Barua said fondly.
Ravi Kota, in his speech, also praised the contributions of Shankar Lall Goenka and his father to the film industry in the region, particularly for building cinema halls in the 1930s.
Creativity workshop:
The Goenka Trust also sponsored a three-day Creativity Workshop through Cinematic Arts, conducted by Jahnu Barua, from September 26 to 28. Guwahati-based Foundation for Culture, Arts and Literature (Focal) and Cotton University facilitated the workshop and the Award Ceremony.
Shankar Lall Goenka expressed his desire to make the event an annual tradition, aimed at encouraging young filmmakers to realize their societal responsibility in creating meaningful art. The workshop was attended by 20 participants.
