The session of films from Bangladesh organised in Kolkata in connection with the Victory Day celebrations came when there is a hold-up in joint ventures that were expected to open up new markets on both sides of the border. On aesthetic and commercial grounds, the developments have been quite inspiring for those in search of either art or entertainment.
On the one hand, joint ventures have resulted in films like Moner Manush, Yeti Obhijan and, most recently, Doob: No Bed of Roses that explored social and artistic possibilities. On the other, the industry is delighted with gains from popular entertainers and actors from both countries. It was good going till a section of the trade in Bangladesh objected to an imbalance that was working more in favour of the industry in Kolkata than its counterparts in Dhaka. It has prompted the Bangladesh government to halt all co-productions till a new policy can be formulated.
The signals received at the session were positive but the new guidelines are awaited. Till then, producers cannot get new projects off the ground or proceed with those in the pipeline. It has caused some uncertainty and even consternation since there were signs of new ground being broken. A new generation of film-makers seems to have emerged in Bangladesh with an inclination to explore the aesthetic possibilities.
This was evident in Doob directed by Mustafa Sarwar Farooki with Irfan Khan in the central role of a director torn between his wife and a young journalist. The film was a unique experiment with a new language. Khan had gone to the extent of learning the few lines required from the character and was one of the producers.
An earlier session of Bangladesh films in Kolkata had brought films like Anil Bagchir Ekdin and Amar Bandhu Rashid which had confirmed the artistic inclinations that had crept into films rooted in the liberation struggle.
If all this was significant enough, Gautam Ghose had shown the way to co-productions with two remarkable ventures Padma Nadir Majhi and Moner Manush several years ago and, more recently, with an equally touching exploration of cross-border sentiments in Sankhachil.
Ritwik Ghatak has remained a perennial source of inspiration on a shared cultural heritage resulting in a film like Kaushik Ganguly’s Bisarjan where two lonely hearts can set aside political and administrative pressures and follow the echoes of their personal lives.
While discerning viewers were delighted with these developments, there was the popular cinema in both countries that led to questions being asked about joint ventures being launched primarily to grab new markets. It is known that actor director Gautam Ghose and actor Prasenjit had taken the initiative some time ago to work out a formula to help both sides. That their efforts hadn’t yielded the desired results was evident from the decision last July to bring all co-productions to a halt till new guidelines can be finalised.
This should come as a big disappointment. Bangladesh actors like Firdaus and Jaya Ahsaan have done well in Tollygunge productions. Ahsaan particularly in Bisarjan and Firdaus has been quite successful in popular ventures despite the diction rooted in the soil. On the other hand, Rituparna Sengupta, Jeet and Ankush have been among the actors who have been drawn into co-productions launched by respective banners on both sides.
What seems to have complicated the situation is the emergence of one or two banners in Bangladesh joining hands with organisations in Kolkata to present a series of blockbusters apparently at the cost of the local industry. While there is no declared objection to joint ventures as such, there is an element of scepticism in the possibility of predominantly Indian films being disguised as co-productions with a Bangladesh director (one of the two directors of the project) and a few minor actors figuring in the credits as a strategic device.
The Bangladesh banner is seen to have prospered with such ventures to the extent of controlling a large number of outlets that could have served local productions.
The question now being asked is whether it is possible to strike the balance that is being sought with equal representation from both sides before joint ventures can be resumed. The question has been hanging since the early days when efforts were made to open up new markets covering audiences on both sides and Bengali speaking viewers elsewhere.
To begin with, there was the scare of Bangladesh productions being swept aside by Bollywood. Now it has led to the fear of co-productions tilted heavily towards the side that can thrive on legends like Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen and of course Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak — not to speak of musical luminaries like Hemanta Mukherjee and Salil Chowdhury.
All of them continue to create waves in Bangladesh even though there are meaningful films like Krishnakali (shown in Kolkata last week) which confirmed that Bangladesh has emerged with exciting new ideas and creative skills. While the new guidelines in Bangladesh may take time to pass local pressures and bureaucratic hurdles, meaningful events and exchanges have become more frequent. That should prepare the ground for new bridges.