Not more than 3 Bengali films to be released in festive seasons: Panel

Kolkata, Oct 27 (PTI) The Screening Committee of Bengali films has decided that not more than three Bengali movies would be released during festive seasons in future for the overall business interest of the industry, a member of the panel said on Monday.

The West Bengal government has formed the Screening Committee -- comprising Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA) and other stakeholders – to coordinate film releases and ensure fair screen allotments, particularly during festive seasons like Durga Puja and Christmas.

At a meeting on Sunday, the panel resolved that at the most three Bengali movies would hit the theatres in the upcoming Christmas season, during the period of January 23-26 next year and in future major festivals, EIMPA Chairperson Piya Sengupta said.

"Release of several films simultaneously affects business and also hinders promotion. So, we have decided that on occasions like the upcoming Christmas season when people love to watch films, too many movies will impact each other's box office collections as viewers will be split. This also affects single-screen owners," she said.

The decision follows the controversy over the release of four Bengali films in this year's Durga Puja, and many producers claimed to have been given less number of halls or multiplexes by distributors and some influential production houses getting the lion's share of shows.

Sengupta said that Atanu Roychoudhury-Dev's production ‘Projapoti-2’, the new film on detective Mitin Masi by Nispal Singh, and a third movie - either ‘Loho Gourangar Naam Re’ produced by Rana Sakar-SVF or a Kakababu film by SVF will be released during the next Christmas.

"We will zero on the name of the third film as intimated by the production house concerned. Similarly, at a meeting in November, the list of films to be released throughout next year will be decided," she said.

Windows Production House film 'Bhanupriya Bhooter Hotel’, slated for release in the Christmas season, will now be released on January 23 along with another SVF production film.

Besides Sengupta, producers of several upcoming Bengali films, owners of single screen and multiplexes, Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India President Swarup Biswas, attended Sunday’s meeting. PTI SUS NN