The poster of a recent Bengali film

The proverbial third bell had not rung. Sitting in a balcony seat, in the dim light I could see the ground floor of the auditorium. The front stalls brought back memories of all the bunked classes. The ‘dash anna’ seats were notorious for the noise we made every time the sari slipped an inch from the shoulder. It was remarkable how easily we could replace Uttam Kumar with ourselves in a romantic scene with Suchitra or Supriya.

This evening, however, was different. A dear friend has made a feature film in Bengali. He had invited me and some of his other friends to watch it. I was honoured. It was not a filmy premiere, it was a regular show in one of the regular halls.

It turned out to be a nice evening. The movie was entertaining without being crass. There were no exotic foreign locales — shot in the city, the film was smart and had a vibrancy of its own. What one still missed was the food court, the popcorn and the Diet Coke. The seats were okay, but I longed for the broader multiplex seats, not to talk about the reclining couches in the Gold Class.

That possibly is where the most crucial difference lies between the plexes and the old-world auditoriums like Minar or Bijoli. When you go to see a movie in Forum or South City, you do not depend only on the movie to get entertained. Shopping, eating, lounging — all these provide an insurance. Even if the movie is a bore you can be reasonably sure of coming back home happy.

Most Bengali movies do not make it to the plexes. In a standalone theatre, the decision to see has to be based on your expectation of entertainment from the movie and the movie alone. This is a risky proposition for the Santro-driving Calcuttan. He would rather watch some dated movie for the umpteenth time in the comfort of his bedroom. His aversion is fuelled by the stink in the hall, inadequate leg space and problems of parking. These gain ascendancy because he does not expect a Bengali movie to entertain him.

This is why the marketing efforts of the contemporary Bengali movie-makers tend to baffle you. What does the typical ad of a typical Bengali movie say? The name of the movie is such and such. Jisshu and June are the lead pair. Also in the cast are Ranjit Mullick or Soumitra Chatterjee and others. Then the names of the director, the music director and the producer.

What is the state of mind of the recipient of this advertisement? Generally: I have no interest in Bengali movies and have no inclination to go to see any of them. The movie makers need to figure out what will persuade him.

For a start, there has to be a conviction that the Santro-driving Calcuttan is a market worth aiming at. Perhaps more crucially, there has to be a realisation that the movies being made in Bengali are not the only deterrent. What stops the viewer from driving towards a Purna or a Prachi is the predisposition, formed without seeing a single mainstream Bengali movie in the last decade.

The battle of the mind needs to be fought first.