The New Nation - Internet Edition

Ishrat Jahan

Agricultural products and apparels are not the only ones with which a country can trade with other countries. A healthy film can also be a very good product. Apart from business, a good film mirrors a country's culture and tradition to the rest of the world.

A good entertaining film is not the outcome of any single individual's labour. Instead, many people like producers, distributors, directors, storywriters, actors and actresses, owners and workers of movie houses are closely involved in the process of making a film, a popular medium to entertain people.

However, many moviegoers have virtually stopped visiting movie houses as healthy and entertaining films are hardly made these days. On many occasions, cut-pieces containing obscene scenes are attached with films that cannot be enjoyed by people of decent taste.

In Pabna, for example, almost all the cinema halls have been closed down. Those not shut down yet are in a very bad shape. "Only a few years ago, the lives of cinema hall workers were different," says ex-cinema hall worker Mujibur Rahman, now running a grocery shop." Virtually, all the workers are now on the streets. Many of our colleagues are either rickshaw-pullers or day labourers."

Amjad Hossain, a filmmaker and a writer, says, "For our country, film can be a major source of income. Along with earning a lot of money, it's possible to generate employments for many people too. Film is such an industry through which our culture can be wholly mirrored." He says, "Not long ago, the position of our films in the world stage was very good. We can get that position back. But, the government will have to come forward in this regard. We'll have to think how our films can be globalised." Neighbouring India, Amjad says, has a tremendous success in commercialising their films globally, but Bangladesh has failed. A few days ago, three overseas friends came to watch a film at Star Cine-Complex, Basundhara. One of them was Sweden's Simbla Jenny. She said, "We have come here to feel the Bengali culture because through this medium, many aspects of Bangladesh can be understood very quickly." Golam Rabbani, a director known for making healthy films, says, "Bangladeshi films are far away from the international standard. Besides, the number of viewers in our country will have to be increased. And to make that happen, the cinema hall owners will have to ensure good environment in their halls." He says patronage is necessary for development the countrys film industry. If Bangladeshi films want to catch the international market, the local market should be targeted first. The interest of people about films has to be evoked. Experts say film is the principal medium of entertainment in Bangladesh. It's a business too wherein crores of taka are being invested. To enrich the industry, everyone's cooperation is necessary.

- News Network