How diehards, digital platforms breathe life into Bangladeshi films

At just 14, the fervent young Nazrul Islam's love for cinema led him to lease Munmun Talkies, a movie theatre near Chilmari port, for Tk15,000 a month.

Leveraging his early experiences as a child actor, Nazrul skilfully negotiated the securing of the rights to the blockbuster "Garial Bhai" at Tk25,000. 

In a mere 1.5 months of screening, he raked in over a lakh taka.

Though such a tale might seem fantastical today, it unfolded during the 1990s, the booming era of Bangladesh's film industry.

"There is no more money in the business," says Nazrul, who managed 50 cinema halls at different times.

"There used to be 1,400 cinema halls in the country, with around a hundred films released each year, and 80% of them were commercially successful. Movies were made for Tk30-Tk40 lakh, and those earning between Tk80 lakh and Tk1 crore were considered superhits," recalls the film enthusiast.

Those days were soon gone, and Nazrul now runs only one cinema hall – Cleopatra in Dhunot.

Today, fewer than 100 cinema halls stay open year-round. Around two hundred halls open during the Eid season, and even five successful films a year might not be enough for their survival.

Until the 1980s, the film industry was the largest in Bangladesh, says Mia Alauddin, senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Film Exhibitors Association.

"Back then, with the national budget between Tk8,000 crore and Tk10,000 crore, the government collected up to Tk1,400 crore in amusement taxes from the film industry," he recalls. 

Ruhul Amin, general manager of Kibria Films, says a 1997 survey estimated that 1.20 lakh people were directly involved in the film industry, with the total number, including indirect workers, reaching around 10 lakh. 

Nazrul's story does not end in despair, though. He adjusted to the evolving industry and began film distribution in 2007 and amassed over 500 black-and-white and early colour films from the analog era. 

His distribution company provides many of the old films, photo songs, and special scenes now available on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, OTT platforms, apps, and TV channels.

Enter digital world

Several companies are active in producing mainstream digital films in the country, including Action Cut, Kibria Films, Alpha Eye, Shapla Media, and TOT Films.

Abu Bakar Sabuj, general manager of Jazz Multimedia, notes, "In the digital era, raising money for films is easier than before. Distribution is no longer solely dependent on cinema halls; the overseas market is growing." 

For instance, he says, "Our film 'Paap: Prothom Chaal' only made Tk2 lakh in halls, but it earned Tk15 lakh from OTT platforms and Tk10 lakh from TV." 

This trend shows promising growth and is expected to increase in the future, he adds. Sabuj believes Bangladesh is a promising market for films because audiences react enthusiastically to good movies. 

However, he notes a shortage of quality cinema halls. For instance, while viewers flock to see good films at Cineplex, they are less interested in local theatres. 

To address this, Jazz began renovating cinemas in 2012. 

In the first phase, Jazz upgraded 40 halls with silver screens, surround sound systems, digital projectors, online UPS systems, and mixing machines. They also advised hall owners on improving lighting, cleanliness, security, and seating. 

Also, Jazz produced and prepared a series of good films to ensure a consistently good viewing experience. Sabuj notes that a good audience is essential for success on TV channels, social media, and online platforms, where they earn about Tk10 lakh per month from movie trailers, songs, and videos. 

In the past year and a half, Jazz has produced 80 films and distributed over 500. They have also developed server security software with local IT experts to combat piracy. 

Instead of transporting film prints, Jazz now streams films directly from their Dhaka office to cinema servers, ensuring a streamlined and efficient process.

Market reviving 

The tradition of watching films in cinemas remains deeply connected to the local economy, say film makers. In the past two years, films such as Priyotoma, Poran, Surongo, Hawa, and Rajkumar have earned crores from cinema halls.  

The rise of online platforms is encouraging producers to take more risks, with films now being made with budgets of five to ten crore taka, says film producer and distributor Saiful Islam, who is Nazrul's brother.

He is optimistic about the growth of the Bangladeshi cinema market both domestically and internationally.

Around 10 to 12 distribution companies now handle Bangladeshi films globally. In North America, the Canadian distributor Swapno Scarecrow began by renting auditoriums in 2016 to screen Bangladeshi films, later officially releasing them in theatres. 

For example, Priyotoma earned $44,000 in its first weekend across 42 theatres in Canada and the US. 

Europe, Australia, and the Middle East are emerging markets for Bangladeshi films. Distributors like Bangaj Films, Desi Events, Reverie Films, and Raduga are actively involved. 

Overseas distribution involves a 13%-15% tax on gross box office income, with multiplexes taking half of the remaining revenue and the rest split between exhibitors and distributors.