Legendary filmmaker Prabhat Mukherjee-directed 1959 film Puberun holds a special place in Assamese cinema. It was the first movie from the state to be screened at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival and the only film representing India at Berlinale 1960. The landmark movie, which was also honoured with the President’s silver medal for Best Feature Film in Assamese that year, marked a turning point in the career of actress-singer Gyanada Kakati, who had made her acting debut in Prabin Phukan’s 1948 film Parghat. The Bishnu Rabha Award-winning actress was part of several iconic Assamese films including Piyoli Phukan (directed by ‘Natasurya’ Phani Sarma), Nip Barua’s Ronga Police, Puwati Nisar Sopun, Narkasur, Upar Mahala, Khekh Bisar and Rag-Birag, among others. Revered for her acting prowess, courage, versatility and natural charm, the pioneering actress passed away recently in Shillong, at the age of 93, due to age-related ailments.
It is said that following the success of Puberun, Gyanada was offered a role in Bimal Roy’s 1963 movie Bandini. However, she turned it down to focus on building a career in the Assamese film industry. That said, she did work on a number of Bengali films, notably Nilachaley Mahaprabhu, Gadher Mathe and Barma. Speaking at an event earlier, she recalled how elated she was at the news of Puberun receiving the invitation to Berlinale. “I was so excited that I ran wearing my Hawai chappal to my husband’s office to give him the news. I was breathless and my husband gave me a glass of water to calm me down. The then Finance and Law Minister Fakruddin Ali Ahmed [who later became the President of India] had remarked, ‘I don’t know whether the film will go or not, but our artiste must surely go’,” she said. In Berlin that year, Gyanada had the opportunity to meet greats like Cary Grant, Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner and Faten Hamama, among others.
In terms of her singing career, Gyanada was a popular vocalist, who regularly featured on Akashvani’s Shillong/Guwahati centre, respectively. Apart from being an accredited singer of All India Radio (AIR), she was also the first announcer for AIR Shillong/Guwahati. The first broadcast from this station was made in July 1948.
Born in 1932 in Shillong (then the capital of undivided Assam), Gyanada was the daughter of Deven Das, who took interest in theatre. As a teenager, she once performed in a play, titled Sati Behula, for which she was complimented by the great cultural icon of Assam ‘Kalaguru’ Bishnu Prasad Rabha. It’s important to note here that Gyanada took the stage at a time when performing arts wasn’t considered a very honourable vocation for girls. Although her foray into films was rather ‘unplanned’, as many as five of her films went on to win the National Award, which is quite a feat for a female artiste in that era.
In 2023, politician-actress-filmmaker Bobbeeta Sharma released a biographical documentary on the veteran actress, titled Jnanada: Reflections of Light and Shade. Speaking at the film’s premiere in Guwahati that year, Gyanada reportedly said that it was her husband, the late Lohit Kakoti, who had encouraged her interest in cinema and suggested that she acted in his friend, Prabin’s, film Parghat. The movie also starred acclaimed actor Chandra Phukan. Commenting on the 40-minute documentary, director Bobbeeta said, “The idea behind making the film was to document the life of a talented artiste as a repository for future generations. It is also a tribute to her contribution towards Assamese cinema and culture.”
Expressing her views on women in cinema, the iconic actress said, “I am indeed fortunate to have witnessed the journey of women in films from those days to the present where they not only act but direct, produce and are involved in all stages of filmmaking.”
Even though not many people outside the region may have known about her legacy of meaningful cinema, Gyanada Kakati’s decades-long career in the world of film, music and radio is an inspiration for those who believe in the potential and power of regional cinema. She not only made a mark onscreen with her talent, attractive demeanour and mesmerising voice, but also essayed meaty characters with panache and dexterity. Her remarkable achievements must be viewed through the lens of a time when the notions of ‘feminist narratives’ and ‘women at the helm’ were almost non-existent, let alone a regional actress representing the nation on the global stage.
