General Knowledge of Assam - Complete Guide

The honor of being the first Assamese feature film director to receive the President’s Award goes to Nip Barua. He achieved this milestone with his film Ronga Police, released in 1958, which won the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Assamese.

Ronga Police was a pathbreaking film for its time, blending crime, drama, and suspense with a socially relevant storyline. Its national recognition brought Assamese cinema into the spotlight and proved that regional films from Assam could stand alongside the best in India.

A socio-political drama that centres around a sincere and honest police officer, highlighting the struggles his impoverished family endures, this film is based on a play of the same name by Ramesh Sharma, which was performed in Jorhat by the ‘Milito Silpi Samaj’, an amateur theatre group, during the mid-1950s.

A widowed teacher has four children. The eldest is a magistrate, the middle one is a police constable, followed by a widowed daughter, and the youngest son who has gone astray. The middle son lives outside the home in the police barracks, while the others stay together as one family. The youngest son begins causing various problems. One day, during a robbery attempt, he kills a man. The award-winning constable, the middle son, is then compelled to arrest his own younger brother.

Nip Barua was present in the audience during the performance and was so captivated by the play’s script that he chose to adapt it into a movie. The film was financed by Kanak Chandra Sarmah, a member of the Janambhumi group, who initially expressed reluctance but ultimately agreed to provide financial support after being assured a role in the production. The total budget for the film amounted to Rs 60,000. It was one of the first Assamese films to receive critical acclaim outside of the region. Nizamuddin Hazarika, the film’s composer recognised for his contributions to the esteemed Jyoti Sangeet genre, is a former associate of Jyotiprasad Agarwala. Nip Barua, who also portrayed a character in ‘Ronga Police’, progressively elevated Assamese cinema to a level where films in the Assamese language became a genuine form of entertainment. 

Significance of Nip Barua’s Award:

• First Assamese director to win the President’s Silver Medal.

• Marked the entry of Assamese films into the National Film Awards platform.

• Inspired future filmmakers to create cinema with both artistic and cultural value.

• Helped Assamese cinema gain respect and visibility at the national level.

Nip Barua’s Ronga Police remains a landmark film, not only for its gripping narrative but also for being the first nationally awarded Assamese feature film. His recognition laid the foundation for the future of Assamese cinema, encouraging later filmmakers to achieve excellence and aim for national honors.