Bangladesh calls for joint effort to save Bangla cinema

CALCUTTA: It is their last shot at reviving the lost glory of Bengali cinema. The film fraternity on either side of the Padma have gathered under the aegis of the Bangladesh India Chamber of Commerce & Industry to lobby for free exchange of films between the two countries to expose them to a wider audience. This, they feel, will make the films commercially viable and provide succor to an ailing industry.

Bangladesh Motion Picture Exhibition Association (BMPEA) president Saiful Islam Chowdhury said the Bangladesh cinema, passing through an extremely critical phase, will break down if a joint effort is not taken to resuscitate the ailing industry. Indian Motion Pictures Association (IMPA) and BMPEA have set up a joint committee comprising six officials to lobby with the respective governments.

"The glorious days of Bengali cinema in West Bengal is over. The good cinema movement is almost dead. The situation is critical in Bangladesh too and we need to get together and pool in our resources and efforts to save this great medium," Chowdhury said.

Referring to the 340-million-strong captive Bengali speaking audience in Bangladesh and eastern India comprising West Bengal, Tripura and Assam, he said the industry could flourish if films produced in both countries were properly distributed.

While 40-42 films are produced in West Bengal every year, only 30 are released. Bangladesh in contrast, produces 100 films a year and exports about 25 films to the Malaysia, Middle East, UK and US. "We want to export our films to India and show the Indian Bengali films in Bangladesh," he said.

Speaking on Indo-Bangla co-productions, Bangladesh Film Censor Board president Sukumar Rajan Ghosh said though commercial films like Beder Meye Jyotsna and Judge Barrister had been major box office draws, there was a need to promote exchange of good cinema. "We are concerned about the cultural loss. Cinema is a powerful medium and should be encouraged rather than allowed to fade away," Ghosh said.

Though keen to encourage greater exchange of films, both IMPA and BMPEA officials are aware that West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya is opposed to co-productions. Bangladeshi filmstars Champa, Shabana, Bobita, Farrokh, Razzak and Alamgir may be familiar faces in West Bengal but Bhattacharya is not likely to be moved unless the associations present a strong storyline

India Times December 2000