KOLKATA: That Bengali films often don’t get prime-time slots is nothing new. Time and again, whenever a big-budget Bollywood or pan-Indian film starring A-listers releases, Bengali films are pushed to the sidelines. On Thursday, state minister Aroop Biswas held a meeting with producers, filmmakers, exhibitors and distributors of Bengal and announced that Bengali films would now be given “priority” in the state. This announcement is especially significant at a time when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is protesting against the insult of the Bengali language in several states.
In the past too, actor-producer Dev has faced similar issues due to the release of high-profile Bollywood films. Whether it was his films like ‘Password’, ‘Tonic’, or ‘Khadaan’, the superstar and TMC MP had to struggle for show slots in theatres. Now, his upcoming film ‘Dhumketu’, which reunites him with Subhashree after a decade, is slated to release on August 14. However, the distributor of Hrithik Roshan’s big-budget ‘War 2’, which is releasing the same day, has allegedly asked exhibitors in Bengal not to allot a single show to Bengali films, demanding all four shows in single-screen theatres.
In response, Dev, along with Prosenjit Chatterjee, Kaushik Ganguly, Nispal Singh and Srikant Mohta, wrote to the CM on Wednesday. On Thursday, Biswas met with the Tollywood fraternity at Nandan to address the issue. “Our CM has launched a protest against linguistic terrorism. In Bengal, Bengali cinema will be given priority,” he said.
The announcement has brought relief to many in the Bengali film industry. “How can Bengali films not get proper shows in Bengal? In other states, regional cinema is always given priority. We are happy with how the meeting went. This fight isn’t just for ‘Dhumketu’, it’s for all Bengali filmmakers and producers. Dhumketu will now get 50 per cent show-sharing in all single-screen theatres,” Dev said.
Actress Rituparna Sengupta, who recently produced ‘Puratawn’ starring Sharmila Tagore, also welcomed the move. “The meeting has been fruitful. I’ve been advocating for this cause for a long time. I work with many independent directors and producers and I know the struggles they face to get slots. I hope the minister’s decision is implemented effectively on the ground,” she said.