How to celebrate the National Film Day

Observance of the National Film Day could be salubrious enough but for the moribund state of the film industry in the country. When cinemas are churning out record number of films -- commercial, blockbuster and art included, and releasing those at hundreds of cinema halls in other countries, particularly in neighbouring India, cinema halls here are demolished in order to give in to commercial space. The majority of films made here are so absurd catering to coarse tastes that not only the discerning spectators but also the average film-goers of middle-class families have long turned their back to local cinemas. Their chief entertainment is now drama serials -- both Bangla and Hindi -- on TV channels from India. On this count too the local dramas or plays have taken a beating mostly because of the frequent interruptions by commercial advertisements and for quite long spells. This is frustrating because there are highly talented filmmakers and directors of plays in the country who are neglected by producers.

So the question arises, what the artistes, directors, producers and all others involved with the film industry are actually celebrating. They have little to celebrate. The much awaited revival of the film industry could not happen despite the general concern about the decline of the industry and some efforts expended by all concerned. One of the steps, some thought, is collaborative ventures with the film industry of West Bengal of India. Its opposing camp has a different view, though. On the question of exchange of films between Tollywood and Dhallywood also opinions differ equally radically. Even though no policy framework could be furnished, artistes from both Bangladesh and West Bengal are cast in each other's films. Such collaboration is inevitable but what is noticeable is that Tollywood films have been able to make a turnaround by this time whereas films here are no longer crowd-pullers.

The hard truth is that people with little or no genius have long ruled the roost in the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC). Promising and talented filmmakers had no access to it and they had to make the few memorable films under severe budgetary constraints. It is their works that have fetched the few prestigious awards the country boasts from international film festivals. Of late the government has realised that grants sanctioned for production of high quality films need to be raised and the deserving filmmakers should receive the support.

It is a pity that films based on the country's Liberation War could not reach the best of their kinds ever made worldwide. One of the reasons is certainly fund crunch. But more than that what is of short supply is the iconic talent that can visualise a movie of epic quality. The nation's proudest moment of victory over a brutal army could get a deserving treatment so that the world saw in awe the momentous event on celluloid in all its rapacity and glory. If the National Film Day has to be celebrated in its truest sense of the term, a vision of classic films has to be nurtured within the bosom so that at least the new generation of filmmakers can make it happen.