Number of Tolly puja releases dwindles in protest season, at its lowest since Cov yrs
Times of India | 19 September 2024
Kolkata: The number of Bengali releases during the Durga Puja has plummeted to an unprecedented nadir since cinemas reopened after the Covid-19 pandemic. From a robust repertoire of 10 puja releases in 2020, the number has dwindled to a mere trio this year, marking a decline. Conspicuously absent from the puja line-up is a single SVF production, a conspicuous aberration that has not transpired in the preceding two decades.
From holding back of a film centered around a rape in the protest season to dip in investments, stakeholders have cited many reasons.
The three releases on Oct 8 are Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee’s ‘Bohurupi’, Srijit Mukherji’s ‘Tekka’ and Pathikrit Basu’s ‘Shastri’. Last year, there were four releases — ‘Dawshom Awbotaar’, ‘Bagha Jatin’, ‘Raktabeej’ and ‘Jongole Mitin Mashi’. Four Bengali films — ‘Kacher Manush’, ‘Karnasubarner Guptodhon’, ‘Boudi Canteen’ and ‘Mission Everest’ — were released in 2022. In 2021, the number was higher with five releases — ‘Golondaaj’, ‘Bony’, ‘Baazi’, ‘FIR’ and ‘Hobu Chandra Raja Gobu Chandra Mantri’.
The last Bengali film release of SVF was in June. It is unprecedented that the production house doesn’t have a single Bengali release since then till the pujas. According to the spokesperson of SVF, “This is the first time in the annals of our production house that we are not opting for a puja release. The project we had finalized with Rahool Mukherjee has not reached fruition. We had four other films in the pipeline but will release them later.”
Industry insiders reveal that Mukherjee’s SVF film was a crime thriller centered around a rape where the antagonist was the perpetrator. In the current sensitive climate involving the rape of an R G Kar doctor and the protests surrounding it, the stakeholders unanimously decided not to hastily release a film based on such a theme during the auspicious puja season.
This June, a Bengali film last became a hit at Navina cinema. “After that, there has been a slump. None of the Bengali releases could succeed at box-office. The number of films being produced has gone down. Producers are also skeptical about releasing those that are ready. This isn’t a good situation in Tollywood,” said Navin Choukhani, the owner of Navina cinema.
Director Indranil Roy Chowdhury said the signs of this downslide were visible long back. “Investors have long stopped spending on Bengali cinema. There is tremendous chaos in the production and exhibition space. Govt-involved reforms are required if we want long term change.”
Distributor Satadeep Saha said Tollywood must remain impartial and relinquish its propensity to perceive everything through political prism. “We may harbour divergent political ideologies but our survival hinges on availability of employment prospects. The industry is grappling with a downturn and the dip in number of puja releases only exacerbates this,” Saha said.