Akash Ar Mati (The Sky and the Earth) is a 1959 black and white film directed by Fateh Lohani and produced by Film Development Corporation (FDC).[1] It was the first sound feature produced in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) including post-production,[2] though like Mukh O Mukhosh (The Face and the Mask), the first Bengali-language film made in East Pakistan, it used some cast and crew from the West Bengal film industry.[3]
Background
Akash Ar Mati was actor-director Fateh Lohani's second venture. Satrang, an Urdu film directed by him was released in 1965.[4]
He based Akash ar Mati on one of dramatist Bidhayak Bhattacharya's stories.[5] A musical film, it was thematically ambitious. But it suffered from poor technical knowledge and the inexperience of film-makers of Dhaka.[6][7] The film flopped commercially.[8]
Legendary Bangladeshi actress Sumita Devi,[9] Fazlul Karirt, Pradip, the first Bangladeshi hero Aminul Haque,[1] Dagu, Ali, Zinat, Rablul, Madhuri, Tejon, and Ranon acted in the film.[10]Baby Islam was the cinematographer.[11]Subal Das was the music director.[12]
