Alarming decrease of cine-halls
The number of cinema halls in the country is about 300 at present. Its number was 1,300 in the eighties. Naturally a question arises what are the reasons behind the upsetting dwindling of the cinema halls, which was, rather, supposed to increase in view of the population.
Nowadays, the quality of most of the movies is substandard from all counts. We cannot at the moment think of movies like Je Nadi Marupathe, Aakash O Mati, Matir Pahar, A.J. Kardar’s Jago Hua Sabera (Day Shall Dawn), Abdul Jabbar’s Mukh O Mukhosh (The Mask), Zahir Raihan’s Kakhono Aseni, Kancher Dewal and Jibon Theke Neya, Salahuddin Ahmad’s Suryosnan and Dharapat, Khan Ataur Rahman’s Nawab Sirajuddowlah and Abar Tora Manush Ho, Amzad Hossain’s Golapi Ekhom Traine (The Trail), Humayun Ahmad’s Aguner Parashmoni and Shaymol Chhaya, Murshedul Islam’s Suryodighal Bari, and Chashi Nazrul Islam’s Ora Egarojan.
The Pakistan government arrested A.J. Kardar accusing him of working for Marxism before he could finish his second movie ‘Dur Hai Sukh Ka Gaon (Off Human Happiness).
It may be mentioned that Jago Hua Sabera was awarded gold medal in the Moscow Film Festival sometimes in the sixties.
As to why the cine-goers are not going to the cinema halls, critic cited transport problem, at night in particular, fear of snatching on roads, absence of hygienic environment in and around the cine-halls, and poor making of movies as reasons. It now implies with the government to remove the problems.
Ameer Hamzah
Dhaka
