Mukh O Mukhosh
Encyclopedia
Mukh O Mukhosh (The Face and the Mask) (1956) was the first Bengali language
feature film to be made in Bangladesh
(then East Pakistan
). It was produced by Iqbal Films and directed by Abdul Jabbar Khan. The movie was released in East Pakistan on 3 August 1956. It was released in Dhaka
, Chittagong
, Narayanganj
, and Khulna
. The movie was a great success as viewers thronged to watch the first movie to be made in the region. It earned a total of Rs. 48,000 during its initial run.
was virtually non-existent, and local film theatres screened movies from Kolkata
, or Lahore
. Jabbar Khan was reportedly incensed by the remarks of a Calcutta movie producer, F. Dossani, who claimed the local climate was not suitable for movie production. Khan worked on the movie for two years. Local actors, who had no prior experience of acting in films, performed for the movie for free. In the absence of any local film production studios, the negatives of the film had to be taken to Lahore
for developing. Playback singers for the two songs in the film were Abdul Alim and Mahbuba Hasnat (Rahman), wife of Khan Ataur Rahman. However, the song by Abdul Alim is lost, as the film of that part of the movie has deteriorated completely. Mahbuba Rahman sang the other song in the movie - Moner Boney Dola Laage Hashlo Dokhin Hawa.
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
feature film to be made in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
(then East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
). It was produced by Iqbal Films and directed by Abdul Jabbar Khan. The movie was released in East Pakistan on 3 August 1956. It was released in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
, Narayanganj
Narayanganj
Narayanganj is a city in central Bangladesh. It is located in the Narayanganj District, near the capital city of Dhaka and has a population of 220,000. The city is on the bank of the Shitalakshya River. The river port of Narayanganj is one of the oldest in Bangladesh...
, and Khulna
Khulna
Khulna is the third largest city in Bangladesh. It is located on the banks of the Rupsha and Bhairab rivers in Khulna District. It is the divisional headquarters of Khulna Division and a major industrial and commercial center. It has a seaport named Mongla on its outskirts, 38 km from Khulna...
. The movie was a great success as viewers thronged to watch the first movie to be made in the region. It earned a total of Rs. 48,000 during its initial run.
Background
The story of the movie was based on Abdul Jabbar Khan's play, Dakaat (Robbers). Khan started working on the movie from 1953. At that time, the film industry in erstwhile East PakistanEast Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
was virtually non-existent, and local film theatres screened movies from Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, or Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. Jabbar Khan was reportedly incensed by the remarks of a Calcutta movie producer, F. Dossani, who claimed the local climate was not suitable for movie production. Khan worked on the movie for two years. Local actors, who had no prior experience of acting in films, performed for the movie for free. In the absence of any local film production studios, the negatives of the film had to be taken to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
for developing. Playback singers for the two songs in the film were Abdul Alim and Mahbuba Hasnat (Rahman), wife of Khan Ataur Rahman. However, the song by Abdul Alim is lost, as the film of that part of the movie has deteriorated completely. Mahbuba Rahman sang the other song in the movie - Moner Boney Dola Laage Hashlo Dokhin Hawa.
Cast
- Inam Ahmed
- Ali Mansoor
- Zahrat Azra
- Abdul Jabbar Khan
- Kazi Khaliq
- Purnima
- Saifuddin
- Golam Mostafa