Election of film artistes association and its future

Bangladesh Film Exhibitors Association says, about 50 cinema halls have closed in the last three years due to continuous losses and lack of spectators. The people associated with the country's film industry continue to blame each other for their plight.

The election of Bangladesh Film Artistes Association will be held on 28th January and various rumours and criticisms have already started around the country regarding this election. Candidates from both the panels are competing and there are various discussions and criticisms going on between the candidates starting from quarrels and it is easy to guess what kind of crisis our film arena is in. The country's film industry has been in a slump for long time and the arrival of coronavirus is pushing the industry further back. Discussions, seminars and symposiums have been held on the film's crisis, probability, and ways to overcome, but there has been no significant success yet. Once upon a time there was an overflow of spectators in the cinema halls. The people used to go to the cinema halls with their families to watch movies and after coming out of the cinema halls, they used to utter the dialogues and songs of that movie. It is unfortunate that the overflow of the cinema viewers in cinema halls is not seen today and it has come down to zero. The cinema halls are now empty of spectators.

The tradition of going to the cinema halls and watching movies is being lost and many theaters have already closed. Bangladesh Film Exhibitors Association says, about 50 cinema halls have closed in the last three years due to continuous losses and lack of spectators. The people associated with the country's film industry continue to blame each other for their plight. The country's film industry has been in a slump for long time and the arrival of corona is pushing the film further back. Discussions, seminars and symposiums have been held on the film's crisis, probability, and ways to overcome, but there has been no significant success yet. Once upon a time there was an overflow of spectators in the cinema halls. The people used to go to the cinema halls with their families to watch movies and after coming out of the cinema halls, they used to utter the dialogues and songs of that movie. It is unfortunate that the overflow of the cinema viewers in cinema halls is not seen today and it has come down to zero. The cinema halls are now empty of spectators. The tradition of going to the cinema halls and watching movies is being lost and many theaters have already closed. Bangladesh Film Exhibitors Association says, about 50 cinema halls have closed in the last three years due to continuous losses and lack of spectators. The people associated with the country's film industry continue to blame each other for their plight.

With the digital age, this film industry is not able to keep pace. The audience crisis in cinema halls begun in the late nineties and has now reached its peak. At one time the number of cinema halls in the whole country was about 1400, but today it has come down to less than 70. The country's film industry is in dire straits now. The condition of the existing cinema halls in the country is deplorable and they are on the verge of closure. Some people associated with the film say that the owners of the halls do not make any investment but they break up the hall and create a market whenever they get a chance. Hall owners have repeatedly said that if visitors do not come to see the movie, they have nothing to do but stop. Cinema experts say that it is up to the owners to decide which movie to play and there is no law in the country that says if a movie is released, all cinema hall owners will be obliged to run it. A director regrets that there are no suitable cinema halls to show movies and no skilled producers to make movies.

Movie personalities and movie experts have found some reasons for the fragile condition of the film industry today. 1. Weakness of movie making, lack of variation in the story and unsuitable environment of the cinema halls. 2. Technical error in movie making. 3. Lack of quality movies and copying the story. 4. Absence of melodious and heart touching songs. 5. There is no novelty, variety and depth in the dialogue of the movies. 6. Entertainment is in the hands of people today because of technology which is turning people away from the cinema. 7. Ugly scene, indecency, piracy and imitation. 8. Lack of talented actors and artists. 9. The dialogues and songs are not elegant and not suitable for watching with family. 10. Changes in the tastes and moods of moviegoers. 11. Internal conflict, dirty politics and rivalries in the film industry. 12. Mismanagement and unexpected influence of middlemen. 13. Lack of sophisticated cameras and production studious. 14. Extra attraction towards co-produced movies. 15. Extensive influence of satellite culture. 16. Internal conflict between producers and directors. 17. Ill competition to impose liability on each other.

Apart from these, there are several other reasons behind the dilapidated condition of the film industry. The reasons that are blamed for this deplorable state of Bengali cinema cannot be said to be completely groundless but if a good quality movie is made it is proved that the viewers still go to the cinema hall and watch the movie. The biggest proof of this is the movie 'Ainabaji' and crowds of spectators have been noticed in the cinema halls to watch this film. Movies that do not have a standard fall at the box office.

Currently, various TV channels are trying to keep the movie arena alive by producing movies. They are playing somewhat helpful role in overcoming the film crisis but their temporary efforts are not able to uproot the fragile phase of the film industry. Cinema is an art and if this art does not have artistic quality then it cannot win the hearts of the people. According to some senior actors, no one pays any attention to the artistic side of the movie, rather they are just chasing money which is bringing down the film industry.

Some say that producers are afraid to invest more because of godfathers' excessive influence and interference and they cannot raise money even if they invest. Producers do not show much interest in making big budget films. Many producers have invested so much but they have not been able to raise that money which led to the closure of many production houses. All commercial films are made at own expenses. The government can control the quality of films with censor boards. The government’s initiative for the development of the film industry in Bangladesh is not less. In fact, those who make the films have to create their own distribution channels. If quality movies can be made, big companies will be interested in investing in it. Hall owners want to display movies of India in their halls to avoid losses.

It took about 5 years to make Satyajit Ray's 'Pather Panchali' but in our country a film is being made within six months which has no quality. The quality of a movie places that movie in the heart of the viewers and 'The Bahubali' movie is a great example of this. Within a few days of its release, the film has made a business of thousands crore rupees. The quality of a film depends on the good relationship between the producer and the director. The producer invests the money and the director makes the movies. When the producer is desperate to raise his money, the director cannot cover the quality of the movie. Many times the director gets out of the film in the middle due to internal conflict. The lack of coordination between the director and producer can also be noticed at the time of realising the film. This lack of coordination in filmmaking has a negative impact on the film world. Cinema is a team work and everyone's participation is important here, if one of them is short, then it does not become a good movie.

Our country's films have now become hero-heroine centred. Due to the misery of the film industry, many of the actors and artists are now unemployed and living miserable lives. The condition of those who make a living by relying only on acting is more deplorable. Currently, only a handful of films are being released, focusing on Eid, but this is not the way a country's film arena can run. The state of cinema is getting more and more intense day by day. Currently a movie is being released in two parts which is very annoying and disturbing. Instead of releasing the full movie, it is being released in half. Frankly speaking, family-centric stories have vanished lately which hastens the decline of cinema today.

The industry that is the source of livelihood for thousands of people cannot be allowed to die. Some important steps must be taken to keep this industry alive. The movie should be made in such a way that the whole family can sit together and enjoy it. The depth of the story and sweetness of the dialogue must be kept. The censor board has to play a very strong and up-to-date role. The atmosphere of the cinema halls must be brought back so that men and women can go there without any hesitation. It has become imperative to build new cineplex and expand multiplexes. Innovation must be brought in the field of image promotion and marketing. Faction, dirty politics, internal conflict must be stopped for the development of industry.

It is learned that a decision has been taken to set up a large fund for the development of the film industry. It has been decided to set up the fund to provide long term loans at low interest rates for the construction of new halls, reformation and restart of closed cinema halls. This will bring a revolutionary change in the film industry. However, no matter how many initiatives are taken, if the cinema does not have quality then this film industry cannot be sustained.

The writer is Assistant Professor, B A F Shaheen College Kurmitola, Dhaka Cantonment.
 

Election of film artistes association and its future

Bangladesh Film Exhibitors Association says, about 50 cinema halls have closed in the last three years due to continuous losses and lack of spectators. The people associated with the countrys film industry continue to blame each other for their plight.

The election of Bangladesh Film Artistes Association will be held on 28th January and various rumours and criticisms have already started around the country regarding this election. Candidates from both the panels are competing and there are various discussions and criticisms going on between the candidates starting from quarrels and it is easy to guess what kind of crisis our film arena is in.Thecountrys film industry has been in a slump for long time and the arrival of coronavirus is pushing the industry further back. Discussions, seminars and symposiums have been held on the films crisis, probability, and ways to overcome,but there has been no significant success yet. Once upon a time there was an overflow of spectators in the cinema halls. The people used to go to the cinema halls with their families to watch movies and after coming out of the cinema halls, they used to utter the dialogues and songs of that movie. It is unfortunate that the overflow of the cinema viewers in cinema hallsis not seen today and it has come down to zero. The cinema halls are now empty of spectators. The tradition of going to the cinema halls and watching movies is being lost and many theaters have already closed. Bangladesh Film Exhibitors Association says, about 50 cinema halls have closed in the last three years due to continuous losses and lack of spectators. The people associated with the countrys film industry continue to blame each other for their plight.Thecountrys film industry has been in a slump for long time and the arrival of corona is pushing the film further back. Discussions, seminars and symposiums have been held on the films crisis, probability, and ways to overcome,but there has been no significant success yet. Once upon a time there was an overflow of spectators in the cinema halls. The people used to go to the cinema halls with their families to watch movies and after coming out of the cinema halls, they used to utter the dialogues and songs of that movie. It is unfortunate that the overflow of the cinema viewers in cinema halls is not seen today and it has come down to zero. The cinema halls are now empty of spectators. The tradition of going to the cinema halls and watching movies is being lost and many theaters have already closed. Bangladesh Film Exhibitors Association says, about 50 cinema halls have closed in the last three years due to continuous losses and lack of spectators. The people associated with the countrys film industry continue to blame each other for their plight. With thedigital age, this film industry is not able to keep pace. The audience crisis in cinema halls begun in the late nineties and has now reached its peak. At one time the number of cinema halls in the whole country was about 1400, but today it has come down to less than 70. The countrys film industry is in dire straits now. The condition of the existing cinema halls in the country is deplorable and they are on the verge of closure. Some people associated with the film say that the owners of the halls do not make any investment but they break up the hall and create a market whenever they get a chance. Hall owners have repeatedly said that if visitors do not come to see the movie, they have nothing to do but stop. Cinema experts say that it is up to the owners to decide which movie to play and there is no law in the country that says if a movie is released, all cinema hall owners will be obliged to run it. A director regrets that there are no suitable cinema halls to show movies and noskilled producers to make movies. Movie personalities and movie experts have found some reasons for the fragile condition of the film industry today. 1. Weakness of movie making, lack of variation in the story and unsuitable environment of the cinema halls. 2. Technical error in movie making. 3. Lack of quality movies and copying the story. 4. Absence of melodious and heart touching songs. 5. There is no novelty, variety and depth in the dialogue of the movies. 6. Entertainment is in the hands of people today because of technology which is turning people away from the cinema. 7. Ugly scene, indecency, piracy and imitation. 8. Lack of talented actors and artists. 9. The dialogues and songs are not elegant and not suitable for watching with family. 10. Changes in the tastes and moods of moviegoers. 11. Internal conflict, dirty politics and rivalries in the film industry. 12. Mismanagement and unexpected influence of middlemen. 13. Lack of sophisticated cameras and production studious. 14. Extra attraction towards co-produced movies. 15. Extensive influence of satellite culture. 16. Internal conflict between producers and directors. 17. Ill competition to impose liability on each other. Apart from these, there are several other reasons behind the dilapidated condition of the film industry. The reasons that are blamed for this deplorable state of Bengali cinema cannot be said to be completely groundless but if a good quality movie is made it is proved that the viewers still go to the cinema hall and watch the movie. The biggest proof of this is the movie Ainabajiand crowds of spectators have been noticed in the cinema halls to watch this film. Movies that do not have a standard fall at the box office. Currently, various TV channels are trying to keep the movie arena alive by producing movies. They are playing somewhat helpful role in overcoming the film crisis but their temporary efforts are not able to uproot the fragile phase of the film industry. Cinema is an art and if this art does not have artistic quality then it cannot win the hearts of the people.According to some senior actors, no one pays any attention to the artistic side of the movie, rather they are just chasing money which is bringing down the film industry. Some say that producers are afraid to invest more because of godfathers excessive influence and interference and they cannot raise money even if they invest. Producers do not show much interest in making big budget films. Many producers have invested so much but they have not been able to raise that money which led to the closure of many production houses. All commercial films are made at own expenses. The government can control the quality of films with censor boards. The governments initiative for the development of the film industry in Bangladesh is not less. In fact, those who make the films have to create their own distribution channels. If quality movies can be made, big companies will be interested in investing in it. Hall owners want to display movies of India in their halls to avoid losses. It took about 5 years to make Satyajit Rays Pather Panchali but in our country a film is being made within six months which has no quality. The quality of a movie places that movie in the heart of the viewers and The Bahubali movie is a great example of this. Within a few days of its release, the film has made a business of thousands crore rupees. The quality of a film depends on the good relationship between the producer and the director. The producer invests the money and the director makes the movies. When the producer is desperate to raise his money, the director cannot cover the quality of the movie. Many times the director gets out of the film in the middle due to internal conflict. The lack of coordination between the director and producer can also be noticed at the time of realising the film. This lack of coordination in filmmaking has a negative impact on the film world. Cinema is a team work and everyones participation is important here, if one of them is short, then it does not become a good movie. Our countrys films have now become hero-heroine centred. Due to the misery of the film industry, many of the actors and artists are now unemployed and living miserable lives. The condition of those who make a living by relying only on acting is more deplorable. Currently, only a handful of films are being released, focusing on Eid, but this is not the way a countrys film arena can run. The state of cinema is getting more and more intense day by day. Currently a movie is being released in two parts which is very annoying and disturbing. Instead of releasing the full movie, it is being released in half. Frankly speaking, family-centric stories have vanished lately which hastens the decline of cinema today. The industry that is the source of livelihood for thousands of people cannot be allowed to die. Some important steps must be taken to keep this industry alive. The movie should be made in such a way that the whole family can sit together and enjoy it. The depth of the story and sweetness of the dialogue must be kept. The censor board has to play a very strong and up-to-date role. The atmosphere of the cinema halls must be brought back so that men and women can go there without any hesitation. It has become imperative to build new cineplex and expand multiplexes. Innovation must be brought in the field of image promotion and marketing. Faction, dirty politics, internal conflict must be stopped for the development of industry. It is learned that a decision has been taken to set up a large fund for the development of the film industry. It has been decided to set up the fund to provide long term loans at low interest rates for the construction of new halls, reformation and restart of closed cinema halls. This will bring a revolutionary change in the film industry. However, no matter how many initiatives are taken, if the cinema does not have quality then this film industry cannot be sustained. The writer is Assistant Professor, B A F Shaheen College Kurmitola, Dhaka Cantonment.