State: Bored

Entertainment is a form of affair that holds the concentration and appeal of an audience by capturing the engagement of their mind. It plays a pivotal role in one’s well being, as it brings people together. Not long ago, most households of Dhaka used to bond together over their favorite TV shows, in a single living room. There was a sense of sharing excitement and togetherness, which helped everyone to maintain a smooth state of mind. But life as we know it, got increasingly busy and stressful, and it became more difficult for people to spend time with their loved ones, resulting in anxiety, depression and even loneliness.Entertainment versus productivityAs entertainment is a fundamental and powerful medicine that aids health and well being, movies, music and TV series can create a happening state in people’s lives. A recent study conducted by UK-based firm, Zipjet has revealed the world's most stressful cities of 2017, where Dhaka was ranked as the seventh most stressed city in the world and this is likely because we lack recreation and entertainment very badly. Individuals are disturbed, stressed out and fed up of the unpleasant circumstances, which reduces the efficiency and productivity of an individual. Recreation or amusement is a basic requisite of life. And when we are deprived of that kind of craving, we settle for the next best thing. Even movies of Ananta Jalil were getting severe attention and footfalls in the cinema hall for a different intention or purpose, rather than the movie itself. We can’t blame the audience as they have no better alternatives, to be honest. Thus, even in this modern era of “infotainment”, the term used for the genre which can inform and educate people by showing the achievements and social conventions of others.Dhaka: Now and thenEven the content and quality of television dramas has decreased drastically over the years. There used to be a lot of open air concerts in Dhaka, organised by Bangladesh Musical Bands Association – (BAMBA). Young adults and teenagers were crazy about it but, not anymore. Nowadays, the crowd seems to be more enthusiastic about classical and folk festivals. Even the ones who do not prefer classical are showing up due to lack of eventful programs. The musical festivals are held once every year, and very few local singers get to perform, doing the local music industry no favour. A few outdated theme parks, such as Fantasy Kingdom and Nandan Park, are still surviving, but new initiatives like – The Basecamp – deserves some appreciation. Unfortunately, we don’t have any proper planning and infrastructure to facilitate a platform for such entertainment for the minors. Children are not privileged enough to get playing fields in their area and there’s no proper gaming zone. Shishu Mela, Mirpur zoo, and the kids' corners in cafes and restaurants are the only places to go. Moreover, there is no place to go at all in Dhaka, where you can chit-chat or hangout with friends or colleagues. There’s no calm destination even for an evening walk. All the public places are overpopulated with people from different walks of life, the parks and gardens have no environmental regulations, occupied by hawkers and the unfortunate homeless people.  Government and private intervention is very much needed to alter this scenario.Entertainment: Now and thenApart from art, literature and music, cinema is an amazing platform which can be used as the basis for discussing human emotions, social norms and ways of behaviour to make the society internally educated and sophisticated. But many people from the entertainment industry complain about the problems in the exhibition system and lack of logistical support to explore that spectrum. However, if we look at other countries, the entertainment industry has assisted enormously in the growth of nations like USA, South Korea and India. It has also helped to improve the socioeconomic standard of a certain population by generating employment with numerous jobs and of course with its booming business apart from the intellectual side of it. Right now, our country is on a slow rebound from the worst circumstances. Positive entertainment will allow us time to heal. It gives us hope that we can bounce back. It is also responsible for shaping our views about the society we live in. If proper mass communicative entertainment methods are explored, it is more likely to be a win-win situation for both the audience and the show runners.The writer is a young Ad Film maker and a traveler by heart who loves to sketch and write at times.