Cinema
The Face and the Mask
Mukh O Mukhosh
Abdul Jabbar Khan · 1956
Synopsis
The bandit Shamsher and his gang rob a traveller; on the way to their hideout, they pick up in the jungle a small boy whom a servant was supposed to bury, his father having believed him dead. Years later, the government puts a price on Shamsher's head, and he escapes the police through disguise and by bribing the sub-inspector Jalal. Two members of his gang, Afzal and Kulsum, are in love and dream of running away, when Shamsher abducts a young girl, Rashida, on the road to her village.
Context
In 1953, at a meeting on the future of cinema in East Pakistan, a producer claimed that the humid climate made filming impossible; the director took up the challenge. He drew the screenplay from his play Dakat, which at first gave the film its title, shot with a second-hand Eyemo camera and a simple tape recorder, recruited his actresses through the press and played the role of Afzal. Shooting ended on 30 October 1955, the processing was done in Lahore, and the film was released on 3 August 1956 at the Rupmahal in Dhaka.
Who it is for
A black and white film of ninety-nine minutes, with songs performed by Mahbuba Hasnat and Abdul Alim.
Prizes and reception
The first Bengali-language talkie shot in East Pakistan, it proved that films could be made in Dhaka and opened the country's film industry.