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From a young age, he sang Brahmo Sangeet, Assamese folk songs and tunes like nisukanigeet (lullabies), ainaam, biyanaam; and patriotic speeches of Gandhi, left a reflective influence on him.
In September 1926 he left for Scotland where he did his MA at University of Edinburgh.
During his stay in Edinburgh from 1926 to 1930, he visited the UFA studio in Berlin, Germany, to acquaint himself with film-making techniques.
Jyotiprasad had the opportunity to interact with Gandhi closely, becoming a Congress volunteer soon thereafter.
Penning this dramatic composition at the tender age of 14, Jyotiprasad in 1924 staged his first play Sonit Kunwari in Ban Theatre, Tezpur which received an encouraging response from the audience.
In 1930, Jyotiprasad built a basic film studio “Chitraban” at Bholaguri, on the bank of the river Balijan, almost 300 km away from Guwahati, in the midst of the lush green Bholaguri Tea Estate owned by his family.
He named his production company Chitralekha Movietone; a studio, equipped with a laboratory and sound-recording facility, inaugurated by his father Paramananda Agarwala in 1934.
He is the maker of the first Assamese film Joymoti based on the drama Joymoti Konwori, written by eminent litterateur Rasaraj Lakshminath Bezbaroa. Joymoti premiered on 10 March 1935 at Rounak Mahal, Calcutta.
Jyotiprasad composed brilliant melodious, romantic and patriotic music for his second film Indramalati 1939. A special screening was organised in Guwahati on Sunday, 30 July 1939. This is the movie where a 10 year old Bhupen Hazarika sang ‘Biswa bijoy nava juwan’ and played the role of a shepherd in the film.
A brilliant poet, he wrote over 300 songs. He composed music for most of them. The collection is known as Jyoti Sangeet. Rupknowar Jyotiprasad Agarwala also wrote stories and plays for children. Some of them are Rupalim, Karengar Ligiri, Lobhita.
He breathed his last on 17 January 1951, at an early age of 48 leaving behind two sons and three daughters.
The government of Assam in the memory of Jyotiprasad Agarwala established Jyoti Chitraban Studio in 1961 at Kahilipara, Guwahati.
On 17 June 2004, Government of India released a postage stamp to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Jyotiprasad Agarwala as a tribute to his contribution made in the field of art, culture and literature of Assam.
To commemorate his matchless efforts in the field of art, culture and literature of Assam, January 17 is celebrated as Silpi Divas (a day for the celebration of art and artists) in Assam.