The West Bengal government has made it mandatory to screen at least one Bengali film during prime hours in all cinema halls and multiplexes across the state, Hindustan Times reports.
“In every cinema hall and in all screens of every multiplex across the state, 365 prime time shows / screenings of Bengali films shall mandatorily be held throughout the year with at least one Bengali show per day for all 365 days during the year,” said a notification issued by the state information and cultural affairs department on Wednesday.
This comes at a time when chief minister Mamata Banerjee launched a Bhasha Andolan (linguist movement) amid allegations of Bengali-speaking migrant workers being detained in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled (BJP) states and labelled as Bangladeshis.
The notification also states that prime time shows shall mean shows held between 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm every day.
“Earlier, the slot between 12:00 noon and 9:00 pm was considered prime time. Now the slot between 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm will be considered as prime time.
Earlier cinema halls and multiplexes were required to screen at least 120 Bengali films a year. Now we have made it mandatory to screen 365 films during prime-time slots,” Aroop Biswas, state youth services and sports minister, told media persons.
The minister said that the move will help to give Bengali films a boost.
“Efforts are being made to stifle the Bengali language while some persons have stated that there is no such language named Bengali. The move will help to push Bengali films. Several fresh directors, producers and actors are coming up in the Bengali film industry. This move would help them,” said Biswas.
“This is a historic move by the Mamata Banerjee-administration. This will ensure there are at least 365 screenings of Bengali films across all theatres and multiplexes in the State, in a fitting response to those who criticised the declining number of Bengali film productions year on year,” Swarup Biswas, president of the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India, told the media on Wednesday.
bd-pratidin/GR
