The entire world is still going through an unprecedented time and consequences of Covid-19, with the reopening of businesses and living with the 'new normal' bringing several changes to lives and livelihoods in comparison to the pre-lockdown era.
Still, some businesses are yet to fully reopen around the world such as movie theatres or cinema halls, and this industry in Bangladesh has been eagerly waiting for the reopening.
The question of 'survival' has never loomed with this much intensity in the timeline of Bangladesh cinema industry, as the people in this country are generally known as the movie-loving, 'filmy' people. Movies have always been an integral part of their lives, and theatres have been one of the major recreational places for families.
Fast forward in 2020, Bangladesh now has approximately 194 cinema halls and cineplexes still operating, from having approximately 1,200 cinema halls all over the country in the decades between the 1990s to 2010.
Country's first international standard multiplex chain Star Cineplex has recently announced shutting down of its successful debut branch in Bashundhara City in the capital, and major cinema halls including Purnima, Rajmoni and Ovishar have already been closed while other vintage halls like Balaka, Modhumita and more have been suffering losses for ages.
Outside of Dhaka, the scenario for this business has been horrific, even before the arrival of Covid-19 in Bangladesh. As the pandemic started impacting lives and livelihood all over the country, that became a nightmare for the industry.
Now with the lockdown and other restrictions imposed to deal with the virus officially lifted, the cinema hall owners and the entire film industry are hopeful again for resurgence, after the government announced specific plans for the revival of the movie-business.
On August 25, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to create a special fund to provide financial support to the owners of cinema halls through a big project.
Two days later, Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud called a meeting with Film Producers-Distributors-Directors Association leaders at the secretariat and said that the government is monitoring the situation and will announce its decision on reopening the theatres after September 15.
Amid the fear of the Covid-19, the surviving cinema halls all over the country have been in lockdown mode since March 18 which has caused havoc in the cinema industry bringing catastrophic losses for producers, actors, directors, associated casts and crew members and most importantly, the cinema halls - where the audience see the movies.
That concept, however, has been rapidly changing for a long time with the availability of options to the viewers. It started with the mass-availability of cable tv connections which allowed the viewers to watch movies at home, outside of the theatre - and the practice increasingly continued with the availability of computer and mobile phones at the mass level.
To bring the audiences back to the cinema halls, resurgence in the industry seemed visible in recent years. Piracy got reduced, multiplexes like Star-Blockbuster-Shyamoli started showing both local and international movies focusing audience demands which brought back the young generations, middle class and upper-class people back to the theatres.
Major occasions like the Pahela Baishakh, Eid-Ul-Fitr, Eid-Ul-Adha in which the industry generally eyes big profit margins in the calendar year - have generated absolutely zero money because of COVID-19. The estimated loss during these occasions is around Tk 500 crore for the entire industry, according to the industry insiders. -UNB
