Hindi movies in Bangladesh cinema halls

[5tonne]

I thought there would be some discussion about it already.
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-15178289

Anyway please like this page and share if you agree to the cause https://www.facebook.com/pages/Say-N...homepage_panel

[Jadukor]

Competition will drive quaility upward. Because of the ban bd produces the same garbage every year which nobody goes to see besides idumb. We need to make sure bd earn tax revenues from these indian films and that some funds go back to our own industry.

[Zeeshan]

hindi abar lingua franca hoye jay kina, ei amader voy

[Shubho]

Originally Posted by Jadukor
Competition will drive quaility upward. Because of the ban bd produces the same garbage every year which nobody goes to see besides idumb. We need to make sure bd earn tax revenues from these indian films and that some funds go back to our own industry.

Spot on.

We need to shed our fear and learn to compete. In Bangladesh, everyone and their dog watches Hindi movies, listens to Hindi songs and uses Hindi words in conversation...and that's in spite of all types of protectionist policies. The only way to counter this is by improving and promoting the local product.

[Zeeshan]

Not to mention the subtle democratic fact that since we fought a war about suppression of language and it may be a tad bit ironical to prevent the very damn thing we had a war about....

[simon]

I think it will hurt us bad,
about competing with them and becoming better, I'm not so sure, I think it's a fight we can not win, they have huge budget for movies, we don't, we know how popular hindi movies are in BD, if Bollywood gets in people won't even bother paying for deshi movies.
Besides Bollywood has been making rubbish movies for the last 8-10 years, nothing much to watch apart from glamor , item songs , poor comedy & BAngladesh has been making some different movies which are not bad, like Monpura, Jaago,Chorabali, television, Pipra bidya etc.
Most people of BD specially women gave up BD dramas and are addicted to hindi serials which are all about glamor, dami shaari,dami goyna and cheap acting, same is about to happen with movies I'm afraid.

[Zeeshan]

keno apni na pk niye faal parlen dekhlam khub shumon da...ekhon onno gola milachen kano

[simon]

Originally Posted by Zeeshan
keno apni na pk niye faal parlen dekhlam khub shumon da...ekhon onno gola milachen kano

may be you are talking about Nocturnal bhai, I didn't watch PK yet, but I probably will

[iDumb]

pk is a good movie....I recommend all of u watch it...

This article is very old btw...but I guess subject still remains

I support free market....let ppl decide what they want to watch...

Getting Hindi movies and English movies to run in cinema halls will bring educated middle class ppl to halls ....and that's when u also run quality bangla movies con currently for exposure ...

If u only run low quality sexualized dhallywood movies ... no self respecting person will go to halls ... forget about any girls....

U have to change ppl psyche about watching movies in halls to lift bd film..suppressing other films will not do it because dhallywood does not compete with Bollywood ...

I think Calcutta has restriction on bd films.....if u have beef there...restrict Calcutta movies.... (I still wouldn't support that) .... my motto if there is money to be made...u jump to that opportunity

[Ace of BD]

used to be a fan in 90s, and early part of 2000s....but guess Bangladesh cricket team's rise has helped me finally gotten rid of many things which am glad of, and one of them is bollywood....

[Equinox]

Originally Posted by Jadukor
Competition will drive quaility upward. Because of the ban bd produces the same garbage every year which nobody goes to see besides idumb. We need to make sure bd earn tax revenues from these indian films and that some funds go back to our own industry.

Exactly. The same fears were dispelled in Pakistan where the local product has actually improved since Bollywood films have been showing in cinemas. I'm given to understand that films like Waar and Khuda Ke Liye are a significant step up in quality, not that I have watched them personally. AFAIK cinema halls across the country are struggling and many have shut their doors in recent years. This decision can reverse this trend and actually increase the revenue earning potential for local films. Profits from foreign films can be used to open up new halls and spruce up existing ones to entice the middle-class family audiences back.

As for quality, on the whole I don't see any improvement in Bangladeshi mainstream cinema. So clearly protectionism has not worked. And are we really going to pretend that this ban has at all prevented Bollywood from permeating into Bangladeshi society? I don't think the kind of films simon da is talking about will be affected much by the withdrawal of this ban. If a film is good people will watch it. As for the industry as a whole if they are willing to pick up the slack I think they will survive and maybe even benefit from this move but if they continue to churn out the same drivel they will deservedly go defunct.

I do think however that these foreign products should be appropriately taxed and local films should get assistance from the government in the form of tax-breaks and subsidies especially for films that promote moral values and have a social message and the money generated should be pumped back into the industry.

[BANFAN]

45 years of protection has taken our movie industry to such low that it's difficult to draw any parrellal ... Enough protection given to be ready for competition. Competition will definitely improve our industry & if our industry doesn't have capable people to boost their quality, I don't mind them getting destroyed.

Let the incapable people earn their living on bangla dubbing and other indian movie based promotional activities. Atleast they won't pollute the industry further. People will anyway watch hindi movie on big or smal screens, so there is no cultural invasion.

Let new generation of the country come in and compete, like AJ

[adamnsu]

It wasnt like always this in the early days of Bangla films when they actually did make decent movies, that is when going to a movie was a family affair. But unfortunately the FDC has grown into an instituion that promotes and attracts vulgarity. The Bangla movies are now catered towards the tastes of the majority of cinema goers who enjoy slap stick comedy and a bit of "maasala scenes" on the side.

However I think allowing Hindi movies in Bangla cinema halls wont improve Bangla films. Bangla films will only improve when the people start changing their tastes and the cinema hall enviornment is a family friendly one.

But I am for restricting Hindi movies into our halls. I would not want India to suck more money out of us. I would rather want the money to go the Bangladeshi people now matter how rubbish their movies are.

Bangladeshis dont realise how India tactfully controls many aspects of their lives while they protect their own. We need to stand up to this bully country where we can and protect our own!

[BanCricFan]

We should just surrender our sovereignty to India and become one of their provinces. In that case we don't really need to compete with them in anything. With the help of far superior intellectual and technical know how from our undivided Bharat government we will compete with the world, instead. Also, we should declare Hindi as our official state language. Kids nowadays are much more proficient in that tongue than Bangla anyway thanks to some amazing high quality Hindi filim and Saree dramas which are being beamed to each and every households. We should also adopt Urdu as our poetic language....the language of Ghazals and love. Oh! I can see the quality already! Halls filled with all of Bangladesh, again! The world is so thin on entertainment and amusement as it is. We need more and then more. We could do with more drugs, too. Of course, quality should not be compromised.

[BANFAN]

Originally Posted by adamnsu
It wasnt like always this in the early days of Bangla films when they actually did make decent movies, that is when going to a movie was a family affair. But unfortunately the FDC has grown into an instituion that promotes and attracts vulgarity. The Bangla movies are now catered towards the tastes of the majority of cinema goers who enjoy slap stick comedy and a bit of "maasala scenes" on the side.

That's also when we used to have quality English movies coming to our cinemas. Halls were in much better conditions and going to movies was a recreation for educated people.

However I think allowing Hindi movies in Bangla cinema halls wont improve Bangla films. Bangla films will only improve when the people start changing their tastes and the cinema hall enviornment is a family friendly one.

When does people start changing taste? If you keep supplying rotten cinemas? Having good movies will bring the people of better taste in the cinema halls and force the others to change taste. Why only hindi? Open it for Hollywood movies too. We have people with better taste, but they don't have the taste to go to watch the current lot of movies. It's not that we need to change taste of the people really.

But I am for restricting Hindi movies into our halls. I would not want India to suck more money out of us. I would rather want the money to go the Bangladeshi people now matter how rubbish their movies are.

Bangladeshis dont realise how India tactfully controls many aspects of their lives while they protect their own. We need to stand up to this bully country where we can and protect our own!

Rest are based on your political view, so can't comment on that.

[Neel Here]

if bengali movie industry in WB can survive and indeed thrive in spite of the ubiquitous presence of hindi movies, not to mention english ones and the odd tamil/telugu ones (to cater for the tamil/telugu people who live in the city) why cant dhaka film industry do the same ?

[BanCricFan]

Neel Here,

Bangladesh is not WB nor India. Just like there are some "official" import trade restrictions of Indian goods in Bangladesh market there should be protectionism on the culture/art front as well. Bangladesh is a small country with her own language and culture. We cannot afford to have an open border policy. Also, Hindi movies by and large are of terrible quality. If it was like the works of Bimol Roy, Satiyajit Roy or Guru Dutt I probably wouldn't have mind. But, what current Bollywood has to offer is utter rubbish, cheap "Holywood" imitations, wannabe, capitalistic bling bling and sex romps. Far removed from reality and quality. Not exactly the cornerstone of high art. India (Bollywood) is already shooting at her own feet. Our deshi rubbish is bad enough, we don't need to further import -at least, officially- foreign trash with our hard earned money. I hope you will find this as a reasonable argument against as you come across to be quite a reasonable poster.

[Neel Here]

I agree 95% with you about the quality of bollywood movies (5% disagreement because of some good movies that do not get the publicity they deserve). in spite of all the copying and mindless commercialism our movies are progressing. Indian film industry is just not bollywood btw.


everyone, me included, had written off WB film industry by 90's. they have turned around and surprised a lot of naysayers.

my point in mentioning the kolkata film industry is precisely this, if a film industry with similar linguistic bankground and a far higher exposure to bollywood can make it, so can dhallywood.

have some more confidence in your own film industry in stead of being defensive about it. they might end up surprising you.

[mufi_02]

Originally Posted by Neel Here
I agree 95% with you about the quality of bollywood movies (5% disagreement because of some good movies that do not get the publicity they deserve). in spite of all the copying and mindless commercialism our movies are progressing. Indian film industry is just not bollywood btw.


everyone, me included, had written off WB film industry by 90's. they have turned around and surprised a lot of naysayers.

my point in mentioning the kolkata film industry is precisely this, if a film industry with similar linguistic bankground and a far higher exposure to bollywood can make it, so can dhallywood.

have some more confidence in your own film industry in stead of being defensive about it. they might end up surprising you.

I haven't seen any WB movies lately and so can't comment on their rise. But I have always felt that WB and Bangladesh have generally produced better art-houses (or indie) films than the regular masala Bollywood movies. Similar to Farsi films which focuses heavily on realistic plot and acting rather than song, dance, and Shahrukh Khan crying. Also there is no way WB and BD can compete with Bollywood for the nach gaan escapist type of film. Bollywood's budget is very big and SRK can dance in 7 continents for one single song.

So we should focus on our strengths and produce more of high quality serious drama films. Yes, they won't capture the mind of common folks in the beginning but slowly and surely these films will gain popularity. WB and BD have worked together in the past and produced some amazing films (Padma Nodir Majhi, Hotath Bristi, Lalon). I hope they will continue to do so even more in the future.

I am sort of against Hindi films in our local theaters. But won't mind if its a Bengali film from WB. The objection is not against a foreign film rather it's about a foreign language's creeping in into our Bangla culture.

[Neel Here]

I would like to clarify that I dont have a stand on showing hindi movies in BD. although in my experience, if people want govt cant really stop them.

mufi, there used to be a time when tollywood (kolkata film industry) produced films of two opposite genres -- high brow artsy type or mindless overdramatic jatra type. the first type was funded almost exclusively by government culture ministries and no-one other than a couple of crtics actually watched these stuff. the second type was targeted solely at the lesser educated rural/urban population and was consequently unwatchable for the most part.

it started changing with people like rituparno ghosh' direction. a new category emerged that was decent cinema as well as commercially viable.

in the past decade we have had movies like chokher bali, 22'se shrabon, bhooter bhobisyot, shabdo, jaatiswar etc etc etc which has brought back the educated middle class crowd back to watching bangla films.

I am sort of against Hindi films in our local theaters. But won't mind if its a Bengali film from WB. The objection is not against a foreign film rather it's about a foreign language's creeping in into our Bangla culture.

just curious, are english films banned too ? on the basis of foreign language ?

[BanCricFan]

Originally Posted by Neel Here
... in spite of all the copying and mindless commercialism our movies are progressing. Indian film industry is just not bollywood btw.

....have some more confidence in your own film industry in stead of being defensive about it. they might end up surprising you.

I beg to differ that Indian movies are progressing. I would say it is rather regressing. There simply isn't any world class film maker/director like Ray is about in all of India. I say this as someone who has attended the workshops of world renowned photographer/director Wim Wenders and have worked on projects of close students of his in Hamburg. So, I speak somewhat as an insider. I would say the post-production aspects of Indian cinema has got better and it is only to be expected. The originality in story telling, narratives or the screenplay have not progressed at all. That's where lies the very essence of cinema. As Mufi02 has mentioned Iranian cinema on this front has done much better even with their limitations and limited resources. Do you see anyone the likes of S. Ray in the contemporary Indian cinema (Bollywood, WB, Tamil, Marathi or Telugu)? If you do I would appreciate a recommendation or two. Admittedly, I don't watch any cinema nowadays and can't remember when was the last time I actually went to a theatre. I would rather read a book.

And, I am not really holding my breath on my "own filim industry". It is just rotten. Some telefilms might be merely watchable, though.

[Neel Here]

bro, I am nowhere close to your erudition regarding movies. but, we were talking of different types of movies altogether, viz.

a new category emerged that was decent cinema as well as commercially viable.

ray was great but he was also by and large art-house type. I am talking films for masses.

[BanCricFan]

Bro, I am of the mass and for the mass. And if we start treating the mass "specially" nothing will get better. We must have a little more faith and a better opinion of the vast majority of humanity. The "mass" will consume what the "elitists" or the leaders throw at them. The question is what do the "ruling class" wants of the "masses" : subjugation or emancipation?

We have a global culture of dumbing down the people. And, "art" or "entertainment" plays a massive role in this. The art has been reduced to vulgarity. Change that and see how the "mass" reacts and adapt. For example, Rays works such as 'Hirok Rajar Deshe' or 'Gupi Gayn Bagha Bain' were well received even by the "mass". If there is a will, there is a way. We can raise the bar

[BANFAN]

Originally Posted by Neel Here
if bengali movie industry in WB can survive and indeed thrive in spite of the ubiquitous presence of hindi movies, not to mention english ones and the odd tamil/telugu ones (to cater for the tamil/telugu people who live in the city) why cant dhaka film industry do the same ?

I second that. Recently I had an opportunity to check with Bangla film industry in WB, because a few years before it was almost dead like Dhaka, but they have done huge improvement in terms of making good movies in recent years and has been able to draw a large audience all over west bengal, despite open competition with hindi movies. That's what will happen with Dhaka also, if you confront with competition. Initially they might go in some temporary comma, but they will rise, because there will always be a demand of a movie in your mother tounge and its cultural projections, however good a movie made in another culture, it can't come to your heart as much as a reasonably good movie prepared in your own language and culture can.

So it's only ly a lame excuse that, competition will destroy our industry.... Here is a sample of how low and vulgar and distasteful our movies have become, even if this movie has a demand, it shouldn't be permitted in a theatre in the name of cultural protection. This is cultural destruction

By the way, this song is creating some controversies at the moment in Bangladesh too:

https://twitter.com/bangla_natok/sta...19309577113600

This is vulgar, discriminatory and racist WTH "Shundar Maiyar Doodh" ...

[Neel Here]

^^^
just terrible.

I second that. Recently I had an opportunity to check with Bangla film industry in WB, because a few years before it was almost dead like Dhaka, but they have done huge improvement in terms of making good movies in recent years and has been able to draw a large audience all over west bengal, despite open competition with hindi movies.

not just WB. in places like delhi, mumbai and bangalore as well. not to mention limited releases in US and UK.

Originally Posted by BanCricFan
Bro, I am of the mass and for the mass. And if we start treating the mass "specially" nothing will get better. We must have a little more faith and a better opinion of the vast majority of humanity. The "mass" will consume what the "elitists" or the leaders throw at them. The question is what do the "ruling class" wants of the "masses" : subjugation or emancipation?

We have a global culture of dumbing down the people. And, "art" or "entertainment" plays a massive role in this. The art has been reduced to vulgarity. Change that and see how the "mass" reacts and adapt. For example, Rays works such as 'Hirok Rajar Deshe' or 'Gupi Gayn Bagha Bain' were well received even by the "mass". If there is a will, there is a way. We can raise the bar

could I just point out that all the ones you mentioned are basically children's films ?
while I remain a big fan of those films it's not what ray was famous for.

and yes, current gen bengali films do have comparable films. try bhooter bhobisyot, patalghar, aschorjo prodip etc