Nandan, Radha Studio open screens to commercial films after four months
Times of India | 7 March 2025
123456 Kolkata: After a hiatus of four months, Tollywood and cinephiles are heaving a sigh of relief with commercial film screenings resuming at Nandan and Radha Studio from Friday. The two state-operated film exhibition venues suspended commercial screenings on Nov 1.
Six Bengali films, including ‘Mayanagar', ‘Dhrubor Aschorjo Jibon', ‘Mon Potongo', ‘Porichoy Gupta', and ‘Karon Greece Amader Desh Na', will be exhibited at Nandan 1 and 2. Varsha Bansal, whose grandfather RD Bansal produced Satyajit Ray's ‘Nayak', is delighted that the 2K restored version of the film will be screened at Nandan, which was inaugurated by the maestro who also designed its logo. "Every producer aspires for their film to reach the appropriate audience. Given the unparalleled calibre of cinephiles at Nandan, it was our preferred venue for ‘Nayak's' re-release. Regrettably, the re-release date coincided with ongoing German and French film festivals," Bansal said, adding, "It is better late than never. We will be screening the film with English subtitles for the non-Bengali or cosmopolitan audience."
Sarmistha Maiti, co-director of ‘Mon Potongo', characterised the reopening as an "extremely helpful' development for independent filmmakers. "We waited for this day for months. ‘Mon Potongo' had its world premiere at Nandan and secured the best Bengali film award at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF). Screening at Nandan feels like ‘ghar-wapsi'," Maiti said.
Rabindranath Dash of West Bengal Film Archive (Radha Studio) said, "Three films – ‘Mayanagar', ‘Nayak', and ‘Porichoy Gupta' are being screened at Radha Studio with a seating capacity of 152."
Tollywood's preference for Nandan 1 stems from its 931-seat capacity, ticket prices ranging from Rs 30 to Rs 70, and access to discerning cinephiles frequenting the venue. Competition for screening slots is fierce, with many having to settle for Nandan 2. Whilst filmmakers proudly showcase houseful boards at Nandan 2, its 165-seat capacity and Rs 30 tickets yield modest revenues. "Even if a film runs houseful for a week, the producer earns less than Rs 20,000. So, releasing a film at Nandan 2 is never for the numbers but for prestige. Nandan is also the epicentre of ‘word of mouth' and if positive reviews come out of Nandan, it helps the film elsewhere," said director-producer Bauddhayan Mukherji.
Director Abhijit Chowdhury, whose ‘DAJ' won the best Bengali film award at the 30th KIFF, is eagerly looking for a Nandan 2 screening in the film's second week of release. "Nandan nurtures independent storytelling, giving films like mine the chance to be seen, discussed, and valued. The surrounding adda culture, where people passionately dissect every frame over a cup of Haridar's tea, fosters a dialogue between filmmakers and audiences. For an independent director, this is invaluable."
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