Aideu Handique

The first Assamese film actress, Aideu Nilambar Handique, became part of the film industry in 1933 when she acted in her debut film, ‘Joymoti’. Aideu was part of an era where girls were not even allowed to go to school or watch theatre, let alone act on screen. She has always been considered a brave and daring woman, as she was the first Assamese woman to find a career in acting. She is looked up to, by many women.

Aideu Handique was born on June 27 ,1920 at Pani Dihingiya, Golaghat. Her parents were Nilambar Handique and Maa-Laxmi. She was a simple 15 years old village-girl when one of her cousins, who was an associate of film-maker Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla, took her to the sets of ‘Joymoti’. In 1933, Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla was planning the first Assamese talkie, ‘Joymoti’. Men were used to take female roles before but Joyti wanted to cast female to play the female character for this and thus Aideu Handique was introduced to him.

Jyoti Prasad taught her how to act for different situations in film. The shooting of this film took approximately a month and ‘Joymoti’ premiered in 1935 and became a classic. The people in her village never got to see Aideu as the heroine in ‘Joymoti’ since there were no local cinemas there till 1985. Only in 1985, when Assam celebrated the golden jubilee of the state's cinema, was her role acknowledged. The local government assigned pension for her and a school was named after her in her village.

But Aideu did not want to act. Only with her father's consent did she agree to act in ‘Joymoti’. After returning to her village after a month, she realized the consequences of getting involved in the entertainment industry. Aideu was shunned by her neighbors, the villagers would not drink from the pond from where she fetched water, her family was fined by a kangaroo court and no man would marry her. She was denied social acceptance, privileges, friendship and was excluded from village. She was not even allowed at her own home and was forced to live her whole life in a thatched hut. Her addressing her hero in the film as Bongohordeo or ‘dear husband’ was her fault, which made her sinister in her village.

She mentioned in one of the interviews what her villagers used to say about her, "Who would marry a girl who had stayed with men in a camp for a month?" said Aideu with a sigh. An Assamese film ‘Aideu (Behind the Screen)’ by Arup Manna was made on Aideu Handique to give her tribute and highlight her tragic life. It’s a powerful portrayal of tragic human existence with every scene full of pathos. The film released in the Mumbai International Film Festival on February 8, 2007. Unfortunately she was not able to view it as she had passed away long back, on December 17 2002 in Kamargaon, Golaghat. Aidue was 87 years old when she died. She appeared in 10 frames of the film ‘Aideu’ which showed her going down the memory lane. Aideu Handique was a legend Assamese society can't forget. Aideu Handique is the pride of the whole Assamese film industry.