Competitive Growth

What timeframe is considered the “Golden age” for Bangladeshi cinema? If you ask me, then I have to say it was almost 40 years ago. I know what you may be wondering. That was the time when there was no ban in cinemas being imported from India. This ban meant that people didn't have access to many foreign films at our cinemas for the last 40 years or so. Fast forward to today where the ban has been lifted by the current government, and the FDC, in a bid to remain in the market, are protesting for the ban to be reinstated, and to be honest, I can understand how they feel. Nobody likes being challenged on their own turf. It must be stated however, that we live in a time when bans on anything media related is pretty pointless. Satellite connection and internet connectivity mean that you have the world at your fingertips. In this new world, a ban serves to help no one. Rather, this ban has created a big disruption in the habit of flocking to the cinema halls because all that's allowed is Bangla movies and most, if not all, of them aren't great these days. For those of you who don't know, this ban was created in the first place so that our industry could have some breathing room to grow more competitive and engage the film scene with more impact. But that hasn't happened, rather our standards have fallen and because of this, many producers, directors, artists etc. had to resort to other professions to make ends meet. This creates a shortage which leads to further degradation. In my opinion, while I do understand the plight of the FDC, I believe ban is not the answer for survival. Competition leads to innovation; this is a fact that has proven time and again to be true, regardless of profession or field. Competition is what we really need because competing with oneself gets old fast and doesn't really lead anywhere, which is what has been happening with Bangladeshi cinema all these years. I believe that rubbing shoulders with the best will lead to better, more vibrant and creative productions here, as well as reinstate the habit of going to the cinema halls, which would directly lead to the improvement of cinema halls here. It could also open the doors to joint collaborations with our neighbor which could lead to wider popularity and newer audiences and better chances for creative minds to express their ideas more prominently. It could also allow us to cut into the international film scene and cut out a niche just for ourselves like many nations have done, so that one day, people from across the globe can identify a Bangladeshi movie as instantaneously as they do any other movie. Our TV channels are proof that despite outstanding foreign competition, it can still survive and still manage to do business, so I have no doubt that our film industry will also survive and overcome this.