Rear view!

For two months, there was absolutely no competition from Hindi movies. The Bengali films that released at plexes got primetime screenings by default. Yet how is it that the occupancy rates for Bengali films at the city���������������������������s multiplexes left much to be desired?
Bengali films that were released at the Inox Forum, Inox City Centre and Inox Swabhumi from April 4, the day when the strike began, were Kaler Rakhal, Rangeen Godhooli, Cross Connection and Madly Bangalee.Apart from these films, Fame Hiland Park and Fame South City also released Challenge, Olot Palot and Saat Paake Bandha. Says a spokesperson of Fame, ���������������������������We don���������������������������t give out our occupancy figures. All we can say is that Fame Hiland Park attracts a major share of the Bengali film audience. MB and CC have lived up to the expectations. But the others haven���������������������������t done that well.���������������������������
So, why couldn���������������������������t Bengali films cash in when there is no competition? Is the content just not good enough or is it a question of urban audiences still not warming up to watch Bengali films at plexes? Director Sudeshna Roy is happy with the returns CC has got from the multiplexes. ���������������������������We���������������������������ve been able to prove that good content in movies and primetime screenings can draw Bengali audiences to the theatres. The weekend occupancy rates were very good.��������������������������� But what about commercial Bengali films? Prosenjit Chatterjee, doesn���������������������������t expect overnight changes. ���������������������������The average occupancy rates of Bengali films is 20 per cent at plexes. Unless it���������������������������s a multi-starrer or involves big names, multiplexes still can���������������������������t draw the average Bengali crowd.���������������������������
Captain Virendra Marya, regional director (east), Inox Leisure Limited, says, ���������������������������Challenge and SPB are doing well in our Burdwan and Durgapur properties. We wanted to run them in Kolkata too but didn���������������������������t get them in the format that our Kolkata properties support. If films with good content are presented well, they are bound to draw the audience.���������������������������
Director Raj Chakrabarty agrees, adding, ���������������������������Challenge has done very well at Fame Hiland Park. It would have done very good business if we could have released it at City Centre too.���������������������������
Though no Bengali film has released post the strike, many believe that double standards of audiences might come in the way of watching the same at plexes. Watching a Hindi no-brainer might be in fashion for many who might shy away from watching a commercial Bengali film at a plex. While Roy believes that the double standards could influence the revenues, Chakrabarty feels that the audience is only interested in good content. ���������������������������Post the success of Challenge, I know packaging matters. People will spend Rs 100 to watch a well-packaged film. Otherwise, they���������������������������d watch it at single screens for Rs 30.���������������������������Provided that Bengali films get primetime screenings irrespective of competition from Hindi releases!