Shah Rukh Khan’s blockbuster “Pathaan” is the primary Bollywood film to get a full launch in Bangladesh in additional than half a century – Copyright AFP Munir UZ ZAMAN

Mohammad MAZED

Thousands flocked to cinemas in Dhaka on Friday as Shah Rukh Khan’s blockbuster “Pathaan” hit the large screens, the primary Bollywood film to get a full launch in Bangladesh in additional than half a century.

The action-packed spy thriller smashed field workplace data when it opened in India in January and the star has an enormous fan following around the globe.

But Dhaka banned movies from its neighbour quickly after its independence in 1971, within the face of lobbying from native movie-makers, regardless of India backing it in its independence conflict with Pakistan.

“I am so excited because a Hindi film is being released in Bangladesh for the first time,” mentioned Sazzad Hossain, 18, at a cineplex within the capital.

“We are all Shah Rukh Khan fans. For the first time I’ll watch Shah Rukh Khan on a giant screen.”

Bangladeshi cinemas have gone into steep decline, with poor-quality native movies unable to match Bollywood’s glitz and glamour or draw audiences, and the ageing Shakib Khan its solely bankable star. 

Some film homes even switched to illegally displaying pornography to attempt to stay viable, however greater than 1,000 have shut their doorways within the final 20 years, a lot of them to be transformed to purchasing centres or flats.

At the Modhumita Cinema Hall, as soon as Dhaka’s most luxurious film theatre, heroin addicts sat outdoors this week in entrance of posters for Jinn, a newly launched Bangladeshi film.

“I haven’t seen such a poor crowd in many years,” mentioned one theatre worker. “Only a few rows have been filled up. Nobody watches these local art movies or films with poor storylines.”

Cinemas was a mainstay of Bangladeshi social life.

“This hall was like a great meeting place of the Old Dhaka community,” Pradip Narayan instructed AFP on the Manoshi Complex, a 100-year-old film theatre was a market in 2017.

“Women used to come back within the night time to look at movies right here. Our moms and sisters from neighbouring areas would come right here, and when the present ended at midnight or 12:30 at night time, it appeared like a good right here.

“A woman even gave birth to a child in this cinema hall. Such was the craze for movies back then.”

– ‘Monopoly destroys business’ –

Authorities tried to carry the ban on Indian motion pictures in 2015 when two Bollywood hits — “Wanted” and “The Three Idiots” — had been screened, however protests by native film stars compelled theatres to cease the exhibits.

The authorities lastly issued a decree final month permitting the import of 10 motion pictures a 12 months from India or South Asian nations.  

“In Pakistan the number of cinemas came down to 30-35 once. Then they allowed importing Indian Hindi films,” mentioned info minister Hasan Mahmud.  

“The number of cinemas has since risen to about 1,200 and the standard of Pakistani films also improved.”

“Pathaan” was launched in 41 theatres throughout the nation and lots of exhibits within the capital had been already bought out, mentioned distributor Anonno Mamun.

Allowing the screening of Bollywood motion pictures would show to be a “game-changer”, he instructed AFP. “Everyone loves Hindi movies here. Many also love southern Indian movies,” he mentioned.

The Modhumita cinema’s proprietor Mohammed Iftekharuddin — a former president of the Bangladesh Motion Picture Exhibitors Association — is hoping for a enterprise turnaround.

“I think 200-300 more cinema halls will reopen after this,” he mentioned.

“Monopoly destroys business. When there is competition, there will be business.”

But Bangladeshi filmmakers are alarmed on the prospect, with some threatening to protest by carrying white shrouds of demise to symbolise the demise of the native business.

“Don’t they know about the Nepalese film industry?” requested director Khijir Hayat Khan.

“Don’t they see that the Mexican film industry was destroyed after opening the market (to Hollywood’s products)?”

Nonetheless, there’s undoubtedly unhappy demand amongst audiences.

Forest division official Raj Ahmed, 30, travelled 250 kilometres (155 miles) from Khulna in southern Bangladesh to see “Pathaan”, however couldn’t safe a ticket.

“I feel very bad,” he mentioned. “I was waiting for many days to watch Shah Rukh Khan on a big screen.”