SINGLE-SCREEN cinemas, once a major place of entertainment for low- and middle-income people, have disappeared over the years. In the mid-1990s, there were more than 1,450 cinemas, but the industry began collapsing around 2000, with single-screen halls declining by more than 95 per cent. By 2010, the number had dropped to 742 and it now stands at around 200, including seasonal halls and multiplexes. There are no cinemas, single-screen or otherwise, in about 30 districts. The Dhaka metropolitan area, which once had 51 cinemas, now has only 14 in operation. Of them, only seven are single-screen halls despite the city’s steadily growing population. Film-makers say that increasing production costs, combined with limited financial and institutional support, have made it increasingly difficult to produce quality films that can draw the audience back to cinemas. A ticket manager at a cinemas in Dhaka is reported to have said that on a recent Thursday, the total revenue was only Tk 2,000, barely enough to cover utility costs. As the cinemas became a loss-making enterprise, the vice-president of the Bangladesh Film Exhibitors’ Association says, the hall owners are often left with no option but to wind up their business.
The film industry in recent years has witnessed the production of some quality films which made their way to international film festivals and earned prestigious awards, but locally they are released in multi-screen halls and remain beyond the reach of ordinary people. With the technological advancement, audience interest has also shifted from cinemas to entertainment parks and hand-held devices. A rickshaw puller, who cannot afford to watch a film in cineplexes, says that he would, rather, pay Tk 10 to mobile servicing stores for films download on the device. Although films have played a significant role in organising movements, from the anti-military uprising in 1990 to the recent July mass uprising against the authoritarian rule of the Awami League, the film industry remains a neglected cultural sector. The government support for film development and its screening remains minimal. Independent film-makers suggest that the Shilpakala Academy, along with the Bangladesh Film Archive, could play a meaningful role by organising film screenings at subsidised rates for the public. They also note that some single-screen cinemas merit government attention because of their historical significance.
Film has for long served as an important medium for advancing democratic values and fostering a culturally-tolerant society. At a time when Bangladesh witnesses the rise of right-wing forces, the government should explore ways to sustain single-screen cinemas and take initiatives to organise public screenings at cultural institutions. A greater support is also needed for both film-makers and exhibitors to encourage the production and viewing of quality films.
