Theatre owners want import, local film industry wants ban
Some Indian movies will be released commercially in cinema halls throughout the country for the first time since 1965.
Three Indian Bangla movies will be screened immediately after Eid-ul-Fitr, with nine Hindi movies to be released shortly afterwards.
The films were imported by the Bangladesh Motion Picture Exhibitors Association in 2010 when the government relaxed its ban on import of sub-continental movies.
The High Court recently ruled that since these movies were imported when the ban had been lifted, the subsequent re-imposition of the ban did not apply to them.
The three Indian Bangla movies — Jour, Badla and Sangram — are now with the Bangladesh Film Censor Board to get its approval prior to release.
The nine Hindi movies are Sholay (1975), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Dhoom:2 (2006), Don (2006), Wanted (2009) and 3 Idiots (2009).
In 1965, after the India-Pakistan war, the screening of Indian movies was banned. In 1972, after the independence of Bangladesh, the ban was extended to all countries of the Indian sub-continent, though this time the purpose was to protect the local movie industry.
This ban was in place since until 26 January, 2010 when the Ministry of Commerce issued a gazette notification, amending the import policy and withdrawing the ban.
However, following protests from Bangladesh’s local movie industry, the ban was re-imposed six months later in June through another gazette notification.
Following a writ petition filled by Iftekharuddin Nawshad, the owner of Madhumita Cinema Hall, the High Court bench of Justice HM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Justice Sheikh M Zakir Hossain said, ‘The rule that existed at the time the films were imported must be the governing law — that is the recognized and endorsed proposition of law.’
‘Obviously there is no scope to apply ex-post facto law’, it added, referring to the subsequent gazette notification issued in June.
Surat Kumar Sarkar, the vice-president of the Film Censor Board, told New Age, ‘We have no choice but to follow the High Court’s verdict.’
The cinema hall owner who filed the case said, ‘Since there is no bar, we will release these movies after the Eid.’
However, the actors, directors, technical crew and producers in the country believe that commercial screening of Indian movies could be the last nail in the coffin of the country’s vulnerable film industry.
‘It will lead us to forget that we have a film industry,’ popular actress Babita, who got international exposure by acting in Indian legendary director Satyajit Ray’s movie Ashoni Shanket, told New Age.
‘It’s nothing but a decision to destroy the local movie industry,’ she added.
Babita further observed that the importers of these movies should spend the amount of money that they have spent on importing the films on the local film industry so that it can produce quality movies.
The leaders of the Bangladesh Film Producers and Distributors Association, the Bangladesh Film Actors Association and the Bangladesh Film Directors Association all said that they are determined to stop the commercial release of Indian movies at any cost.
But the leaders of the exhibitors’ association are planning to file a writ petition against the government’s latest decision to re-impose the ban on import of sub-continental movies.
The owner of Madhumita told New Age that cinema hall owners like himself are interested in importing Indian films as the Bangladeshi films are of very poor quality and do not attract enough viewers.
‘There is huge demand for Indian movies in the country. On the other hand, we are incurring huge business losses since viewers don’t show any interest in watching the stereotypical and sub-standard movies produced here. And Hollywood movies have become too expensive to be commercially viable in the country,’ he said.
‘Only 16 local movies had been released in the last six months, of which six movies were produced by a channel for limited screening. How will the cinema halls owners survive? Business losses are forcing us to demolish the halls,’ he added.
In the last few years, the numbers of movie theatres has decreased by half from over 1,200.
‘We don’t want an open market for Indian movies in Bangladesh. We want permission to screen Indian movies in one quarter of the year, and we will pay higher taxes,’ Iftekharuddin told New Age.
Actor Ferdaus, who regularly performs in Indian movies, told New Age that if Indian films were to be allowed into Bangladesh, ‘there should be reciprocity and the Indian government should allow the commercial release of Bangladeshi movies in India’.
‘More Indo-Bangla joint venture movies can also be a solution to the crisis,’ he observed.
Film director Chashi Nazrul Islam told New Age that the attitude of the film industry in Bangladesh was not anti-Indian.
‘We are not against the release of Indian films, but there must be a policy ensuring national interest,’ he said. ‘The people of the film industry must protest against any decision that goes against the interest of the country.’
-With New Age input
