Restored Assam´s first film to be brought alive at Osian´s

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Aideu Handique, a village girl, played the pioneering role of Joymati for which she was treated as an outcast and remained a spinster.

The film was lost and some reels of the lone print were found in the early 1970s by Jyotiprasad's youngest brother, Hridayananda, in a garage.

Guwahati-based filmmaker Altaf Mazid took interest in the reels and succeeded in restoring and reconstructing about seven reels of the nearly two-hour-long film.

The restored version will be shown on July 19 at the 10th Osian's Cinefan Festival that begins on July 10 here.

Mazid found the reels in near-depleted conditions and completed the archival feat with a fund of less than Rs 20,000.

"The film exactly fits into the vision of our organisation of archiving masterpieces and works of historical importance," said Indu Shrikent, joint festival director.

"The content of 'Joymati' was fascinating for us," Shrikent told PTI.

Joymati, wife of Ahom prince Gadapani, was tortured to death as she did not reveal the whereabouts of her husband who went into hiding after rivals in the family went after his life.

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