In the quiet town of Tezpur, where the Brahmaputra drifts past ancient legends and colonial ruins, stands a crumbling yet sacred structure - Jonaki Cinema Hall, Assam’s first permanent movie theatre. Today, its faded façade and creaking wooden beams may not command the same reverence they once did, but Jonaki is more than brick and mortar. It is a monument to vision, art, and cultural awakening, the birthplace of cinematic consciousness in Assam.

The Birth of a Dream (1937)

The year was 1937. India was still under British rule, and Assam far removed from the cinematic centers of Calcutta or Bombay had barely tasted the magic of moving pictures. At that time, most film screenings in the state were organized in makeshift venues: school halls, temporary tents, or open fields.

Enter Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, the legendary playwright, poet, composer, and filmmaker — revered today as Rupkonwar (the “Prince of Beauty”) of Assamese culture. Having already directed Joymoti (1935), Assam’s first motion picture, he realized that cinema in the region could not flourish without a dedicated space for exhibition.

Determined to give Assamese films a home of their own, he built Jonaki Cinema Hall behind his family residence in Pokee, Tezpur. The name Jonaki, meaning firefly in Assamese, symbolized his dream, a spark that would light up the cultural darkness of the time.

On an evening in 1937, Jonaki opened its doors for the first time, screening the British film Elephant Boy to a mesmerized audience. Tezpur had never witnessed anything like it. The flicker of images on the screen marked the beginning of a new era.

The Dawn of Assamese Cinema

More than a cinema, Jonaki became a cultural epicentre, a place where the people of Tezpur gathered to watch films and exchange ideas, perform plays, and celebrate art.

Through the decades, the hall screened not only Assamese films like Joymoti and Indramalati but also Indian and foreign classics. It became the cradle where the people of Assam learned to love cinema to see themselves on screen and to understand storytelling as a mirror to their lives.

Jonaki’s significance lies in this cultural awakening. It represented a transition from folk theatre to film, from oral storytelling to visual narrative. It was where rural Assam encountered modernity not through force, but through art.

A Cultural Landmark in Decline

For decades, Jonaki stood tall as a symbol of Assamese pride. Its modest yet dignified structure measured around 27 feet wide and 80 feet long, with a lime-plastered façade, wooden balcony, and hand-painted posters adorning its walls.

But as the 20th century rolled on, the glow began to fade. Multiplexes and digital entertainment slowly replaced single-screen theatres. Maintenance became a challenge, and audience numbers dwindled.

By the early 2000s, Jonaki had entered a period of decline. Cracks began to appear in the walls, rain seeped through the roof, and the once-lively space grew silent.

The state government sanctioned ₹50 lakh for renovation in 2019, and a foundation stone was laid for its revival but progress has been painfully slow. As of 2025, the structure stands fragile, its heritage plaque barely legible, its doors often closed except for occasional community screenings.

Jonaki’s Enduring Legacy

To call Jonaki just a cinema hall would be an injustice. It was and remains a living archive of Assamese aspirations. It symbolizes the courage of a people who, even in the margins of empire, dreamed of creating their own artistic voice.

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala’s vision for Jonaki was rooted in self-expression and self-reliance, values that continue to resonate today. The hall’s legacy reminds us that culture cannot thrive without infrastructure; that art, to survive, needs not only creators but spaces that nurture it.

Reviving the Firefly

Today, as heritage activists and cinephiles call for Jonaki’s restoration, the question arises: how can we preserve its past while adapting to the future?

A revival plan could see Jonaki transformed into a heritage-cinema-cum-cultural centre retaining its historical architecture while integrating digital projection, archival exhibits, and a museum dedicated to Assamese cinema. The site could host film festivals, student workshops, and heritage tourism programs, making it once again a beacon of creativity inTezpur.

Because the spirit of Jonaki that small light Jyoti Prasad ignited nearly a century ago still flickers beneath the dust and decay. All it needs is care, and perhaps, a collective act of imagination.

Where the Light Still Glows

Tezpur’s evenings are quiet now, the laughter and applause that once filled Jonaki replaced by the hum of passing vehicles. Yet, if you stand near the old gate and listen closely, you might still hear the echoes of film reels turning, of Jyoti Prasad’s songs drifting through the air, of the collective heartbeat of a people discovering themselves through cinema.

Jonaki, in all its ruin and resilience, is not just a remnant of the past. It is the soul of Assamese cinema, a firefly that refuses to fade.