In the Bengal of yesteryear, as evening fell, the air would fill with the sounds of Puthipath, Jatra, Palagan, Kabir Yali, Gajan and Kirtan. For centuries, these were the heart of Bengali entertainment.
When the Dhallywood film industry began its journey in the 1960s, the folk tale Rupban Pala swept across the country, captivating audiences. Major Jatra troupes performed the story nationwide. Around 1962, the Pala was even banned by the then Governor of East Pakistan, Monaem Khan but when he later tried to oppose it, he ultimately failed.
Recognising its immense popularity, producer Sardar Ali Bhuiyan decided to adapt the Rupban story for the silver screen. Film researcher and director Mir Shamsul Alam Babu told The TIMES of Bangladesh, “At that time, Sardar Ali Bhuiyan and Fazle Haque recorded the Pala from the stage in audio form. The dialogues were written by Bhuiyan himself. The project was initially started by Ibne Mizan and Aziz Mehr, followed by Khan Ataur Rahman, but none managed to complete it.”
Later, Salahuddin took on the production. Initially, Fakhrul Alam directed the film for three days, but as he preferred realistic narratives, he withdrew from the project, leaving Salahuddin to direct the film himself.
Released on November 5, 1965, Rupban is widely regarded as the first superhit in the history of Bangladeshi cinema. Film historian Anupam Hayat told TIMES that the film earned 14 times its production cost.
“This film was like the goose that laid the golden eggs,” he said. “Because of Rupban, the number of cinema halls in the country increased overnight.”
Film writer Dewan Mahbubul Alam noted in one of his articles that, at the time, Dhaka-based producers were focusing on Urdu-language films filled with song and dance, hoping to capture the wider Pakistani market.
Filmmakers such as Ehtesham, Mustafiz, Fazle Dosani and Anis Dosani were producing Urdu films including Chanda, Talash, Mala, Sangam, Tanha, Bahana and Chakori. The dominance of Urdu cinema had pushed Bengali-language films into crisis. Between 1963 and 1965, Dhaka produced 18 Urdu films compared to just 14 Bengali ones.
Rupban changed all that. “At that time, Urdu and Hindi cinema were dominant in our country,” said Anupam Hayat. “Rupban proved that audiences preferred Bengali cinema.”
However, Mir Shamsul Alam Babu clarified, “It’s not accurate to say that Rupban completely ended Urdu cinema. In fact, Urdu film production actually increased. What truly changed was the rise of Bengali cinema. It began to flourish alongside.”
17 prints of Rupban were produced, an unusually high number when most films had just four or five. The film was made in both Bengali and Urdu; the Urdu version was released on August 5, 1966.
According to director CB Zaman, interviewed in Khandaker Mahmudul Hasan’s 2006 book Chalchitra, the film’s budget was between Tk 1 and 1.5 lakh, though Babu expressed doubts about that figure. Even so, Hayat confirmed that Rupban earned roughly 14 times its cost.
A folk tale that captivated the nation
Although Rupban was not particularly praised by critics, it was adored by audiences. The film marked the debut of Kushtia-born actress Tandra Majumdar, known on screen as Sujata, who played the title role. Her portrayal made her an overnight star, affectionately called “Rupban’s daughter.”
With music composed by Satya Saha and songs sung by Abdul Alim and Neena Hamid, Rupban quickly became a household name. It was the first superhit in Bangladeshi cinema history, inspiring a wave of folk-based films such as ‘Modhumala’, ‘Gunai Bibi’, ‘Mahua’, Kanchanmala, Saat Bhai Champa, Behula, Alomoti, Arun Barun o Kiranmala and Rakhal Bandhu.
Explaining why the film achieved such success, Babu said, “The stories of Bengali films up to that point were not very simple. Would ordinary people even understand Zahir Raihan’s ‘Kokhono Aseni’? But Rupban had a story that rural audiences could relate to. It was familiar, heartfelt and easy to follow.”
He added that two more factors contributed to its success: the people’s deep-rooted love of folk culture and the significant number of female viewers.
“That love of folklore is in our genes,” he said. “At that time, when one woman went to the cinema, several others would go with her. This created a ripple effect.”
Rupban was also shown in temporary cinema halls set up in open fields across the country, which generated substantial box-office income.
All these factors combined to make Rupban the first true superhit in Dhallywood history, a film that not only revived Bengali cinema but also redefined what popular success could mean.
