`Spark’ling on the Silver Screen

The director of the play was late BudhinSarma. He used to teach us how to perform. After seeing my performance, he was very pleased with my acting and called our group to make some changes in the play. I was then given the role of the main character. Our play was well received by the audience and the judges. In that play, I got the award of Best Actress from Handique Girls’ College and the next year, I repeated the feat.

Moloya Goswami is a renowned actor from Assam. Her performance in the movie Firingoti(Spark) won rave reviews and she went on to bag the Best Actress Award in the 39th National Film Awards 1992.Since her debut in films, she has never failed to mesmerise her fans with her performances. She has also worked as a lecturer in Education atJagiroad College. Excerpts from an interview:

Tell us about yourself, your family and educational background.

My father belonged to the prominent Rajkhowa family of Sivasagar. I resided with my parents and my elder sister. I was born in Dibrugarh. My father’s job was a transferrable one, so he had to travel a lot. My father used to work in the Assam State Electricity Board(ASEB). So, when he was transferred to Nagaon, we all shifted there. My schooling started in Nagaon and our life was very simple. My sister used to go to school and I used to follow her to school. In those days there were no restrictions on going to school by following your elder sister. That was the way I got admitted to school. I think when I was in class 4 or 5 we shifted to Guwahati and I took admission in TC Girls’ School. I completed my graduation from Handique Girls’ College and I completed my Masters in Education from Gauhati University.

How did you get interested in acting. Who was your biggest inspiration behind pursuing acting?

When I was a student, I got interested in drama. When I was in school, I never thought I would ever perform in a drama but there was a silver jubilee function in our school, where I first essayed a role. I had a group where we decided to perform a play written by Aarati Das, who was in All India Radio. And I had the advantage of my sister also being a member in our group. When we performed the play, it was just for fun as we wanted our parents to come and watch our performances. I still remember when I asked my parents about my performance, my mother said she could not hear my voice. At that time, there was no microphone and we had to go and speak our dialogues in front of a stand mike. At that point oftime it did not cross my mind that I would one day enter the field of acting.

Next, when I started college, in my second year some girls from the Philosophy department decided to perform a play in the college week for a competition. They had a very good story. They were very good friends of mine and I requested them to allow me to participate. But since they were from Philosophy Major, they were a bit sceptical of allowing me to perform in their group. But luckily for me they didn’t have anyone to enact the role of a particular character and so they approached me to do the role. I was happy and readily agreed to play the part. The director of the play was late BudhinSarma. He used to teach us how to perform. After seeing my performance, he was very pleased with my acting and called our group to make some changes in the play. I was then given the role of the main character. Our play was well received by the audience and the judges. In that play, I got the award of Best Actress from Handique Girls’ College and the next year, I repeated the feat. This was a turning point for me. When I was studying in Gauhati University, a cultural organisation named New Art Players wanted me to act in a very beautiful drama translated from the Hindi play,Ashar ka Ek Din, which was written by Mohan Rakesh. The Assamese play was entitled Uterkhita Mallika, and in that play I essayed the character of Mallika. This was my first step towards acting on stage. My parents and my elder sister encouraged me a lot. My father especially was always at my beck and call and used to accompany me to all my rehearsals and my performances. I also used to play games during my schooldays and my father always encouraged me in whatever I did. I have worked with some renowned theatre personalities from New Art Players like Debo Kumar Nath, Arup Chakraborty, Satya Prasad Baruah, Narayan Bezbaruah, Sambhu Gupta and Girish Choudhury. I learned a lot of things from them. I acted in numerous plays like Lobhita, Mrinal Bahini, Palashor Rong,etc.

I cannot say that a particular person was my inspiration because I never started out with that aim. Maybe it was in my blood, and I had the support of my family.

You have acted in some renowned films. Can you tell us about the experience

The number of films that I have worked in is very small and my entry into films was very late. It is not that I did not get any offer, but in those days my mother used to worry a lot and was hesitant about letting me act in films. So, I also never forced them to let me work in films. They never stopped me, but they were a little worried. One day I got an offer from late Bhabendra Nath Saikia to work for his film Agnisnaan which was based on his novel Antareep. In the movie I played the lead role of ‘Menaka’. My husband’s family encouraged me to act in the movie. The movie is a masterpiece. I was nominated for the award of Best Actress for the National Awards. But I missed the award. After that I acted in a movie Maa. My third movie was Jahnu Baruah’s Firingoti. For this movie I got the prestigious National Award for Best Actress in 1992.

Tell us about the most satisfying character you have played so far. Do you believe that you could do full justice to the character?

As a performing artist I have always tried to do justice to the characters I have played. Maybe, at times I have failed, I cannot say. My audience will be able to tell me whether I have been successful in doing justice to the characters I have played. I try to understand and get into the skin of the characters so that I can do justice to the part I have to enact. When I was essaying the role of Menaka, I tried to be that character as far as possible. It was like becoming Menaka and not just acting her part.

Satisfaction is a great thing. When I playdifferent roles in the movies I always think how best can Isatisfy my audience, fulfil their expectations.

You were also working as a lecturer in Jagiroad College. Can you tell us more about your experience as a teacher

I was working in the Education Department ofJagiroadCollege. This is my other identity -- that of being a college teacher. My students are like my own children. The mental peace that I got when I spent time with my students, cannot be compared with anything. The satisfaction of being a teacher cannot be compared to anything. My entire career as a teacher was spent in JagiroadCollege. I have retired now, but JagiroadCollege gave me a different identity apart from being an actor and this counts in a big way in my life. I have discovered new sides to me while working as a teacher. I won the best actress in 1992 when I was working in Jagiroad College. I still remember, the atmosphere of the College that day. It was so memorable it will forever remain engraved in my memory. The whole college celebrated my win. Many people came to take my interview. The atmosphere at the college changed completely. Even today when I happen to meet my students, they hug me out of affection. The happiness, the accolades, the love and affection from students and colleagueswas an unforgettable experience of my life.

Tell us about your awards and achievements

Firstly, awards give you a recognition. It is a respect towards your work. I have never worked to receive awards, and nobody does that. But when someone appreciates you, even with their words it is a big recognition. When you are doing good work and people appreciate you for that, by telling you that you have done a very good job that is a big recognition and encouragement. Therefore, when somebody givesme awards appreciating my hard work, it gives me an inner strength to work harder and become better. My most memorable awards if I would sayso isthe National Award for Best Actress. That is a big chapter in my life. Recently I got the opportunity to go to Houstan in USA, and there also people of the Assamese community bestowed a lot honour and respect. I have also got the Prag Cine award, Joymoti Award, AideoHandique Memorial Award which is given by the SodauAxomLekhikaSamaroh Samiti, Bina Prasad Award, and Leo Advertising Award.

I think that getting an award makes me feel associated with the names of the awards. It is gives one a feeling of being rewarded.

Tell us about the projects you are working on currently. Can you tell us more about your upcoming projects?

After my retirement I have worked in some serials. Right now I am shooting for the entertainment channel of NKTV, namely Spondon. And very recently I have worked in Parvez Ahmed’s EtiTumar. It is a guest appearance and the audience will see me in a different light. Apart from that I am working with the young generation and I am very happy because working with children gives one another level of satisfaction. I worked in the movie Calendar with Himjyoti Talukdar, who is a young boy and I loved working with him. I have also worked with MrinmoySaikiaand Nibir Barua. I have also acted in two short films Nimila Onko which has been released in two parts. The audience also loved the movie. The new generation is very talented. And those who are working seriously, are doing very good job -- be it the script, the concept or the the technical aspects.

Any words of advice for the new comers in the industry.

I feel that there is nothing to advise them on. Now new platforms are coming up, there is the OTT platform, we have short films, web series and they are allavailable as social media content and can be accessed by anyone with a good internet connection. Everything today is accessible with the tip of our fingers. The new generation knows how to take advantage of these new platforms and they are delivering as well. The new generation kids are doing a very beautiful and good job. Since I have also got the opportunity of being associated with their work and I have learned many new things. The best thing of working with the new generation is that I have also learned new work. In earlier days we had a different way of doing films, now the work style is different. So, there is no full stop in learning. Those who are very serious in their work, they are doing good and are working with sincerity. They also know how to market a film. Now a days there are many opportunities at the national and international levels, and the new generation knows how to grab those opportunities. And I want them to do more good work and deliver it to the audience, and they will definitely receive appreciation from their audience. These children are very talented, they just need the scope to spread their wings.

Lastly, any words for our readers

The Sentinel is a very reputed newspaper. The paper has delivered to the readers what they want to read and I therefore think that in all these years they have built a name for themselves. In future too I expect that the paper will deliver and serve its readers with the same fervour.