January box office: Four local films fail to attract audiences

The allure of movies hasn't waned even during the final phase of the OTT era. In fact, the audience's interest in the big screen seems to be growing steadily. A glance at neighboring India reveals a significant trend: where the box office used to earn Rs 100 crores, it's now reaching a thousand crores.

Dhaka's film industry is no exception to this trend. Last year, movies like "Priyotoma" and "Surongo" demonstrated how to dominate the box office. Especially "Priyotoma" surpassed the records of any previous movie at the box office. The producer estimates that the film earned more than Tk 40 crore.

According to data from the distributor association, over fifty movies were released on the big screen last year. Unfortunately, a majority of these films failed to generate sufficient returns on investment. However, many hope the movie business will experience a turnaround in the new year.

As January 2024 draws to a close, it's worth noting that a total of four movies have been released on the big screen during these thirty days. Unfortunately, all the released movies have failed to attract an audience.

Cinema hall owners report that there were insufficient crowds in the theatres, even for the Mehdi Hasan directorial "Shesh Bazi" featuring Symon Sadik and Shirin Shila, Chayanika Chowdhury's "Kagojer Bou", featuring Pori Moni and D A Tayeb, as well as the Musharraf Karim starrer "Hubba". 

Last weekend, on January 26, Sukumar Chandra Dash's directorial "Rukhe Daraw" featuring Kayes Arju and Tanha also failed to attract audiences.

Not only in single-screen theatres, but the same situation also prevails in the country's cineplexes and multiplexes. As per, Channel i Online's report by industry insiders that these movies failed commercially due to untimely storylines and weak production values, resulting in commercial disappointment.

Mesbah Uddin, senior media manager, and marketing officer of Star Cineplex expressed that in the first month of the new year, three films, namely "Shesh Bazi", "Kagojer Bou", and "Hubba", failed to attract viewers. Among them, there was a level of optimism regarding "Hubba", but the outcome turned out unexpectedly poor. He noted that the beginning of the year hasn't been pleasant, but since the year is just starting, they remain about the future. "It's possible that the film business will pick up again during Eid," he added.

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In response to the question about why films haven't been performing without being 'Eid releases', Mesbah Uddin stated, "Audiences typically do not frequent theaters outside of Eid." He emphasised that the two major festivals in the country are Eid, during which high-quality movies are released. Currently, most movies are tailored for Eid releases. He suggested that if compelling movies were released outside of Eid, and if audiences could be drawn in through captivating marketing campaigns, then movies could potentially thrive without relying solely on Eid releases.

"Movies will always succeed if they are of high quality. Apart from Eid, audiences should be provided with compelling movies to draw them to the cinema halls. We are prepared, and the rest of the responsibility lies with the directors, producers, and artistes to deliver outstanding content," he affirmed.

Modhumita Cinema Hall was closed this week due to the failure of the movie to attract audiences. Iftekhar Uddin Noushad, its leader, mentioned that no Bangladeshi movie released in January succeeded except for "Hubba". He expressed disappointment over the cancellation of the Hindi film "Fighter," which was expected to draw crowds. The decision not to screen "Fighter" during the language month was deemed a 'sensitive excuse.' Naushad also mentioned attending a family function where he observed grand celebrations featuring Hindi songs.

Awlad Hossain Ujjal, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Film Exhibitors' Association, attributed the lack of success of four movies released in January to the 'winter' season, "An abrupt onset of harsh winter is affecting various regions of the country, discouraging people from going out. Additionally, feedback from those who watched the recently released movies suggests that the film quality might not be up to par. The association of hall owners is expressing concerns about the current state of the cinema business. They believe that despite any political instability improving, winter tends to bring its set of challenges. The hope is that upcoming movie releases will entice audiences."

Despite facing setbacks in January, three movies are anticipated for release in February. The film "Trap", featuring Apu Biswas and Joy Chowdhury, is set to hit theatres, along with Jaya Ahsan's "Peyarar Subash" scheduled for release on February 9. Additionally, "Chaya Brikkho", starring Nirab Hossain and Apu Biswas, has been announced for release on February 16.