Mamata mandates Bengali films in halls, plexes
The West Bengal government has made it mandatory for cinema halls and multiplexes in the state to screen at least one Bengali movie during the prime time for a minimum of 120 days a year. Prime time for multiplexes and cinema halls is scheduled between 12 noon and9PM.
A notification signed by the principal secretary of the information and cultural affairs department, Vivek Kumar, was issued Saturday. “The Governor is hereby pleased to issue the following directive to all licensees of the State, except the licensees of the GTA areas, with immediate effect,” it read.
According to Kumar, the initiative aims to encourage the Bengali film industry. He said the state government will bring amendments in the West Bengal Cinema (Regulation of Public Exhibitions) Rules, 1956 in due course.
Welcoming the decision, film director Aniket Chattopadhyay thanked the chief minister, saying “it is a great news.”
However, Eastern India Motion Pictures Association has expressed concern that this decision of the state government might pose financial difficulties for certain cinema hall owners, whose halls are located in places with very few viewers Of Bengali movies. “There are certain cinema halls in localities like Burrabazar, Sealdah, Mitabruz, Esplanade and Park Street. There are very few viewers of Bengali movies in these localities. So this decision might pose financial difficulty for these hall owners,” said the association chairman, Ratan Saha.
He also said that the same rule cannot be made applicable for multiplexes and single screen halls. “State government should have thought of such aspects before taking this decision,” Saha added.
However, veteran film director, Prosenjit Chatterjee feels that this decision of the West Bengal government will surely encourage in empowerment of the Bengali film industry.
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