Moushumi starrer ‘Contract Marriage’ sees no ticket sales at multiplex

A Bangladeshi film embroiled in controversy even before its release has flopped spectacularly, failing to sell a single ticket at its only multiplex screening.

“Contract Marriage”, directed by Hassan Jahangir and starring veteran actress Moushumi, opened in 16 cinemas across Bangladesh last Friday after a dramatic legal battle that only narrowly allowed it to be released at all. Yet despite the publicity surrounding the film’s troubled journey to theatres, audiences have stayed firmly away.

According to a report by Prothom Alo, At the K-Screen multiplex in Cumilla — the only multiplex among the 16 venues — three screenings were held on opening day. The result: zero tickets sold. By Saturday morning, the situation remained unchanged, with little hope pinned on the evening show.

“Not a single ticket was sold across Friday’s three screenings,” said hall manager Aminul Islam. “The same was true at half past ten on Saturday morning. There’s still an evening show to go, but I have no expectation of improvement. It’s deeply disappointing.”

The controversy began weeks before release. Actress Moushumi alleged that she had been recruited under the pretence of filming a television drama during a shoot in the United States — not a feature film. The situation deepened when television actress Zeba Jannat discovered her image on the film’s promotional poster, despite never appearing in any production titled “Contract Marriage” or having any knowledge of the project.

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Film Certification Board halts release of ‘Contract Marriage’

After receiving no satisfactory response from the director, she filed written complaints with the Bangladesh Film Certification Board, several film industry organisations, and Actors Equity, the television performers’ union. Actor Siam Mridha later added his voice to the controversy on Facebook, claiming that footage from what he believed to be a television serial had been repurposed for the film without consent.

The film had originally been scheduled for release on May 16, but a day before its planned opening, the Bangladesh Film Certification Board suspended its certification following Zeba Jannat’s complaint to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Director Hassan Jahangir challenged the decision in the High Court, and on May 21, a bench led by Justice Habibul Gani granted a three-month stay on the suspension order. The film was cleared for release the following day. It did. To empty seats.