In 2013, the Bangladesh Film Censor Board gave censor certificates to 62 foreign films. Do you know how many Bangla films got certificates that year? 64! All movie theatres in Bangladesh except Blockbuster Cinema and Star Cineplex prioritise on and showcase mostly Bangla movies. But that priority couldn’t stop a few movie theatres from importing foreign motion pictures.
Many film critics of Bangladesh have termed the last decades as the darkest period for the Bangladesh film industry. BBC reports: “In recent years, the number of cinema halls in Bangladesh has reduced from about 1,500 to just over 600.” It might be surprising, but in 2006, the Bangladesh Film Censor Board gave certificates to only 144 Bangla films. The number has fallen because of the lack of moviegoers. So, why is the number falling?
In an interview, Michael C Hall (known from the TV series, Dexter) was asked if he thought he would be recognised in Bangladesh. He replied: “I did not come here anticipating that I would be recognised. It’s a crazy thing to go to a place that’s completely foreign to you, and you are familiar to the people there.”
Before high-speed internet connections, we used to watch different foreign shows and movies on television via satellite cables and DVDs. Now, we don’t have to wait for the shows or movies to air on TV channels. We can download an entire drama series or hundreds of movies. In the process, we – the general viewers – have automatically realised different qualities of entertainment. When we are watching a movie or a show, we compare them with others. This has increased our demand for quality entertainment.
Bangladeshis were not forced to watch Dexter. They watched it because they wanted to. They wanted to because they found something there which they didn’t find in any other show. When the show became a part of their regular conversation, more people felt curious about it. And with their curiosity, the number soared. Thus, Michael C Hall was recognised in Bangladesh. Now, what can be done to make Bangladeshi movies recognisable?
The president of Film Directors’ Association was quoted in a report: “A Bangladeshi film has the overall budget of Tk1cr, whereas an Indian film is made with a budget exceeding Tk100cr … there is no way films of such varying budgets can compete in the same field.” This report was published when the Bollywood film Children of War premiered in Dhaka.
The report also mentioned an associate professor of Mass Communication and Journalism in Dhaka University, who said: “I am all for importing Indian films to Bangladesh. I believe that films of all languages should be screened for cultural diversity. But, the countries should come to a mutual agreement, and India could agree to release Bangladeshi films in its theatres. I also think that some regulations and control should be imposed on the cinema halls of the country where it will state that a theatre cannot go on showcasing foreign films repeatedly.”
It is true that it will be extremely difficult to compete with high-budget Bollywood films, but it is also evident that foreign films are on the verge of going to the top of our local market already. It is now important to do some research on why local audiences have growing interest in such foreign fare.
In the old days, our parents used to take us to movie theatres to watch movies. Back then, whoever went to watch movies in theatres was considered modest. Gradually the conception flipped, the general public started considering moviegoers as immodest. According to my personal experience, cinema hall owners started to use “cut-pieces” (titillating scenes) to attract an audience.
Posters of many movies were so obscene that general people felt embarrassed in public places. This negative impression still exists in people’s minds. This is one reason why many people lost interest in Bangladeshi movies.
With this depressing presence of only a certain type of audience in movie theatres, theatre owners started seeking profitable options. Many movie theatres around Bangladesh have been renovated to build shopping centres. This disappearance is now causing trouble for the present and potential moviemakers of Bangladesh. They cannot think of making big-budget or promising movies because of the lack of audience. This doesn’t mean Bangladeshi filmmakers have stopped making world-class movies.
The Bangladesh film industry has a glorious history. In the tumultuous periods of war and hunger, filmmakers lived and upheld Bangladesh. Abdul Jabbar Khan with his Mukh O Mukhosh (1956) started the journey. Our film industry is glorious because of filmmakers like Tareque Masud, Nasiruddin Yousuff, Chashi Nazrul Islam, Morshedul Islam, Zahir Raihan, and many others. Many are still working.
And let’s not forget that more talented filmmakers are now coming into focus. Iftekhar Chowdhury, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Redoan Rony are just a few names who have transformed Bangladeshi films. We also have talented and potential filmmakers who are still blooming. For example, The Bengali Filmmakers (TBF) could be unfamiliar to many, but they are still breaking the mold and reaching new heights. Their works on Bangladesh are not only philosophical, but also inspirational.
The Bangladesh government is also trying to contribute to this sector. Recently, PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Bangladesh Film and Television Institute (BFTI) and its first course at the National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMCO). In many public and private universities, there are film societies where teachers and students are involved in research and discussion on how to develop this sector. If this trend goes on, then who knows, maybe in the future, foreign film industries will try to compete with our film industry.