Lesson 1/44 min
Beginnings and first films
In order of time
| Who / what | Detail |
|---|---|
| The Lumière brothers | Made the first films (France, 1895) |
| Hiralal Sen | Known as the father of subcontinent cinema; born in Manikganj; died 1917; his film “Alibaba o Chollish Chor” |
| Jamai Shashthi (1931) | The first Bengali-language talkie; director Amarendranath Chowdhury |
| Kazi Nazrul Islam | Acted in the film “Dhruba” |
| Mukh O Mukhosh (1956) | The first film of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan); director Abdul Jabbar Khan; released 3 August 1956 at Roopmahal, Dhaka |
Watch out: Both books call Jamai Shashthi the “first talkie of the subcontinent”. In fact it is the first Bengali talkie; India's first talkie was the Hindi “Alam Ara” (1931).
Watch out: The books call “Alibaba o Chollish Chor” the subcontinent's first silent film, dated 1903. Sources disagree on 1903/1904 and on the “first full-length” claim, so no year and no “first” is taught here.
Abdul Jabbar Khan
- Called the father of Bangladesh cinema
- Director, screenwriter and lead actor of “Mukh O Mukhosh”
- Purnima Sengupta also acted in the film
Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC)
- Full form: Bangladesh Film Development Corporation; under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
- The first film made there was “Jago Hua Savera”; director A. J. Kardar
Watch out: Both books give 1958 for BFDC's founding, but the BFDC Act was passed in 1957. If asked, know the books' 1958, but no year is taught here.
Also know
- The first film in which the national anthem is sung: “Jibon Theke Neya” (1970), director Zahir Raihan
Check yourself
Which was the first film of Bangladesh and who directed it?
At a glance
- 1
Bangladesh's first film is “Mukh O Mukhosh” (1956), directed by Abdul Jabbar Khan, called the father of cinema.
- 2
The first Bengali talkie is “Jamai Shashthi” (1931), directed by Amarendranath Chowdhury.
- 3
Hiralal Sen is the father of subcontinent cinema; he was born in Manikganj.
- 4
The first film made at BFDC was “Jago Hua Savera”.
- 5
Nazrul acted in the film “Dhruba”.