Actor Parambrata Chatterjee has responded to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's remark labeling Bengali cinema as "ghatia". Weighing in on the issue, Parambrata admitted that people have stopped focusing on mainstream commercial Bengali cinema. Also read: Anurag Kashyap says he broke down after watching Paatal Lok season 2: ‘I am in awe of Jaideep Ahlawat’
Parambrata Chatterjee reacts
Parambrata broke his silence on the remarks made by Anurag when he joined Srijit Mukherji at a SCREEN LIVE session held in Kolkata.
During the discussion, Parambrata responded to Anurag’s comment where he called Bengali cinema as “ghatia” (poor) in comparison with other regional cinema.
Parambrata said, “We have stopped focusing on mainstream commercial Bengali cinema. If mainstream cinema in any industry doesn’t work, then it is very difficult to make any other kind of film. Because the audience size should be that big that you can eat out of that. Our kind of cinema (alternative cinema) thrives on surplus. If there is no steady inflow, then there is no surplus. There is an alienation that happened in 2011. While Bengali cinema was seeing a resurgence of sorts through filmmakers like Srijit da, Kaushik Ganguly and others, who were making middle road Bengali films, the industry unexpectedly shifted away from making big massy Bengali entertainers.”
The actor also called out Bengali filmmakers for making sub-standard remakes of South films which have failed to capture the attention of Bengali audience. He added, “Very loosely and carelessly made South remakes were dished out to the masses. Audience didn’t react to that very well as they found the same films being dubbed in Hindi and being aired on national channels, so they didn’t want to go back and watch these cheap Bengali remakes of South films. The audience size of Bengali cinema kept reducing. Big chunk of West Bengal doesn’t watch Bengali cinema because they feel nobody cares about them. So, it is important that mass entertainers are made in Bengali cinema and that they fetch money so that other kind of cinema can be made.”
{{/usCountry}}The actor also called out Bengali filmmakers for making sub-standard remakes of South films which have failed to capture the attention of Bengali audience. He added, “Very loosely and carelessly made South remakes were dished out to the masses. Audience didn’t react to that very well as they found the same films being dubbed in Hindi and being aired on national channels, so they didn’t want to go back and watch these cheap Bengali remakes of South films. The audience size of Bengali cinema kept reducing. Big chunk of West Bengal doesn’t watch Bengali cinema because they feel nobody cares about them. So, it is important that mass entertainers are made in Bengali cinema and that they fetch money so that other kind of cinema can be made.”
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Parambrata Chatterjee is seen alongside Srijit Mukherji in film, Shotyi Bole Shotyi Kichhu Nei. The film is an official adaptation of the 1989 Hindi movie Ek Ruka Hua Faisla, which was itself a remake of the iconic American classic 12 Angry Men.
More about Anurag’s comment
Last year, Anurag shared there has been a fall in the quality of Bengali cinema in recent times. The Kennedy director spoke about it at the inauguration of the first Kolkata French Film Festival. He also attended a seminar where he made comments on Bengali cinema.
He said that the fall in Hindi films is not as evident as the fall in the quality of Bengali cinema. “The fall in the quality of Hindi films is a fall from the first floor. Bengali films used to be in a far higher position. And hence, the fall is so evident,” he said.
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