Who is known as the Leonardo Da Vinci of Assam?

Who is known as the Leonardo Da Vinci of Assam?

 Jyoti Prasad Agarwala (17 June 1903 – 17 January 1951) was an Indian playwright, songwriter, poet, writer, and film maker from Assam. He is considered as Assamese cultural icon, deeply revered for his creative vision and output and is popularly called the Rupkonwar of Assamese culture. In fact, he is regarded as the founder of Assamese cinema for Joymoti (1935). His death anniversary (17 January) is observed as Silpi divas (Artists' Day) his honor.

Agarwala was born on 17 June 1903 to an Agrawal family, to Paramananda Agarwala and Kiranmoyee Devi at Tamulbari Tea Estate. His uncles were renowned Assamese poets Chandra Kumar Agarwala and Ananda Chandra Agarwala. His forefather, Nabrangram Agarwala, had come to Assam in 1811 from the Marwar region in Rajasthan. After completing his studies in various schools in Assam and Calcutta, he matriculated in 1921. He went to Edinburgh in 1926 to study economics, but returned in 1930 before completing his course. On his way back, he spent seven months at the UFA studio in Germany learning film-making.

Agarwala returned to Assam in 1930 and started his career as a playwright. His first play, "Kareng-er Ligiri", was produced in 1932. He also wrote several novels, short stories, and poems. In 1935, he made his first film, "Joymoti", which was a historical drama about the Assamese queen Joymoti. The film was a critical and commercial success, and it is considered to be one of the most important films in Assamese cinema.

Agarwala continued to write and make films throughout his career. He also worked as a journalist and a social activist. He was a strong advocate for the development of Assamese culture, and he was a founding member of the Assam Sahitya Sabha.

Agarwala died on 17 January 1951 at the age of 47. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in Assamese history, and his work has had a lasting impact on Assamese culture.