Jyoti Chitraban: Assam's Cinematic Legacy and Future

“Think of it as a complete cinema shop. It provides everything — camera and sound equipment, an advanced audio section, a 7.1 audio mixing system, DI setup for colour correction, editing suites, a chroma studio, and even halls for elaborate indoor sets. We’ve recreated everything here, from coal mines to Shillong’s Police Bazar. As time and technology have evolved, so has Jyoti Chitraban”

“In the world of Assamese cinema, Jyoti Chitraban is not just a studio, it is a pride-house, a cultural hub. Every Assamese film that exists today or will be made tomorrow must pass through Jyoti Chitraban. Cinema in Assam cannot exist without marking its presence here.”

“As temperatures rose under those blinding lights, shooting indoors required constant adjustments. Now, cooler lights with hydraulic systems have made the process far smoother.”

“There were no designated make-up rooms, prosthetics, or dressing mirrors. It was just one large room where everything happened together.”

“Earlier, to record a song, the entire team — singer, musician, recordist — would gather in the studio. Hours of rehearsals, spontaneous improvisations, and collective creativity gave rise to timeless pieces. Today, much of this has been reduced. Music is often recorded in isolated home setups, constrained by time and technical structures.”

“In this busy age, digital tools have made things easier. Instead of recording every bit and tone afresh, we now use sounds stored in digital libraries and rely on software to edit shots, without carrying material from one place to another”

“The name of the film studio was rightfully selected as Jyoti Chitraban. It comes from ‘Jyoti’ in Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and ‘Chitraban’ from the name of his own makeshift studio in Sonitpur.”

“The collective spark of creativity has dimmed, and perhaps that is why songs and even films of today fade away faster.”