Recently, an Indian film titled “Children of War,” based on the Liberation War of 1971 premiered at the Star Cineplex. The film will be released in Bangladesh officially on May 16 on special arrangement and has given rise to the dilemma of whether Indian films are entering the Bangladeshi market, overcoming the almost four-decade-old ban.
Ever since Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971, local cinema halls have been banned from showing Indian films. It was an attempt to protect the local film-making industry.
On January 26, 2010, when the Ministry of Commerce issued a gazette notification, amending the import policy and withdrawing the ban, it sparkled the continuing debate into an all out war of protest from the local film industry. The ban was re-imposed six months later in June through another gazette notification. However, the withdrawal that existed for six months only, later resulted to the screening of three Indian Bangla movies and nine Bollywood films in the local theatres.
The reaction to the question of lifting the ban on the import of Indian films in the country varies among the film-makers, actors, producers, exhibitors and critiques. According to a segment, the Bangladeshi film industry will suffer immensely if Indian films enter the market as very audience goes to theatre to watch Bangla films. On the other hand, Indian films are vastly popular among the viewers of the country and it is feared that given the choice between an Indian movie and a Bangladeshi movie, the preference will lean towards the film of the neghbouring country. Considering the situation, there are many individuals who still want the ban to be lifted.
But the recent attempt of screening of “Children of War” rekindled the controversial debate.
Fahmidul Haque, an associate professor of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka, said: “I am all in for importing Indian films in 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.”
Recently Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, renowned film director, expressed his concern over this phenomenon on the social media: “I think, joint productions of Bangladesh-India will be beneficial for our industry. I also believe that if Indian films are to be released in Bangladesh, then it is only fair for Bangladeshi films to be released in India. Tax structures of screening foreign films in Bangladesh should be revised as well. In Kolkata, a Hindi film is taxed at 25% whereas a Bangla film can run with only 2% tax. As an independent government, our policy should be revised with our own profit in mind, not someone else’s profit.”
Shahidul Islam Khokon, the president of Film Directors’ Association, quoted founding president of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: “Films from the other countries of the sub-continent will not be released in Bangladesh.”
Khokon further illustrates that a Bangladeshi film has the overall budget of Tk1 crore whereas an Indian film is made with budget exceeding Tk100 crore. He said there is no way films of such varying budgets can compete in the same field.
Previously, cinema-hall owners expressed concern about the meager number of films being released in Bangladesh every year. For more than a decade, the number of movie theatres being shut down increased in number due to the lack of new films and the dwindling interest of the audience.
Meanwhile, an India-Bangladesh joint production, “Ami Shudhu Cheyechhi Tomay,” starring Ankush and Shubhasree of India in the lead roles, is also set to hit the local theatres this month. The inclusion of Bangladeshi production house Action Cut as a producer of the film has raised question as it is rumoured that it is an all-out Indian film directed by Ashok Pati.
