How beneficial will this political or governmental changeover actually be for the Bengali film industry? Despite being the seventh-largest language film industry in the world, it has been struggling for the last 20 to 30 years. Plagued by a lack of good producers (one or two won’t suffice), repetitive content, budget scarcities, and the continuous shutdown of cinema halls, it seems as though the industry is cursed.
Much like other sectors in Bengal, the film industry is deeply politicized—and not without reason. Exploitative practices, such as underpayment or non-payment of dues, have long been part of the culture here. To safeguard the crew, the crew Federation was given immense power, but with that power came deep-rooted corruption. Today, while the Federation has been rendered non-functional, the burning question remains: will this finally break the stagnation?
The reasons behind this stagnation remain a mystery. While the industry boasts talented actors and highly professional, creative crews, the center stage remains dominated by the same old faces. It has become a classic standoff: makers constantly complain that the audience isn’t ready for fresh content, while the audience argues that filmmakers are simply packaging old wine in a new bottle.
I recently learned from a journalist friend that most of the upcoming releases in the next few months will feature ‘mega-serial’ (daily soap opera) style content. Bengali cinema has been severely degraded by this daily soap formula. Hackneyed, subpar emotional rot is being packaged under the guise of cinema. Bengali producers and filmmakers have utterly failed to read the pulse and taste of the modern audience. In short, their obsession with playing it safe is backfiring tremendously.
Around 2008–2010, the Bengali and Malayalam film industries simultaneously launched their respective ‘New Waves,’ but Bengal failed to sustain its momentum. Merely giving the audience what you think they want is never a formula for true success—especially in the food and film industries. If that were the case, street food variations from rolls to biryani would never have become so wildly popular. To truly succeed, you have to introduce the audience to entirely new flavors.
Bengal’s cinema is waiting for its true renaissance. The question is: are its decision-makers brave enough to rewrite the script?
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