CALCUTTA IS WATCHING: Sean Penn in Milk and Angelina Jolie in Changeling

Yesterday: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Ghajini, Dev D

Today: Milk, The Reader, Changeling

Return to Hollywood is the movie mantra in Calcutta. Forced upon the city screens by the Bollywood ban, the A-list of Hollywood releases has found favour with a substantial number of cine-goers, much to the relief of the multiplexes that have now shelved plans to shut more screens.

“The quality of English films has brought the patrons back,” says Captain Virendra Marya, the regional director (east) of INOX. “Films like Milk and The Reader have done really well. There is a special interest around the Oscar films this year because of Slumdog Millionaire.”

Even films without the Oscar tag — from Fast & Furious to Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla — have done “good business” in bad times. Clearly, the Calcutta audience seems to be fed up of the Bolly no-show, and is giving Holly a chance.

Hear it from Bollywood addict Anil Singhania. “Watching a Hindi film every Saturday night at a plex was a ritual for us. We waited for two weeks for the ban to end but then went for The Reader and then Milk. We loved both,” said the young businessman who goes to the movies with his wife and a gang of friends.

It is because of such groups giving Hollywood a chance that the Fame screens in town are breathing easy. “We are not shutting any more screens as of now. With Changeling and Underworld 3 playing this weekend, we are hopeful that this new-found habit of watching English movies will continue,” said a spokesperson from the South City property.

For a few like music director Neel Dutt, it is the revival of an old habit that was muscled out by Bollywood. “Now I can go and watch Milk at a proper evening show! Had big Bollywood movies got their usual 10-12 shows a day, such films would either not have released here or been screened at odd hours.”

'I watched Milk today and am looking forward to catching Changeling. It's a welcome break from the trashy Bollywood films' -- June, actress