Bengal Bioscope; Movie watching in theatres declines in West Bengal

As many as 30 percent of Bengali moviegoers don't contemplate watching a Bengali film in a hall in near future and 10 percent have already stopped going to the theatres in the last one year, reveals a report titled "Bengal Bioscope: A Big Picture Outlook for Sustainable Growth".

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) partnered with IMRB International in conducting a study on Bengali film industry that focuses on understanding the emerging business models, importance of internet and innovative viewer engagement methods that are vital for the growth of the industry.

As a part of the project, IMRB conducted a first of its kind consumer survey across eight districts in urban West Bengal to learn the changing nature of film viewership and the general perception of Bengali films among its target audience.

Some of the other key findings of the report are that majority of Bengali movie viewers in Kolkata have not been to theatres in the last one year to watch a Bengali film despite proliferation of multiplexes. In the other districts, the frequency of visits are quite low, not even three films in a year.

The study reveals that Bengali cinema today releases around a 100 odd films every year and the total investment pumped into the industry is pegged at Rs.150 and Rs.180 crore.

The report will be launched at CII Big Picture Summit - Vision Bengal, 2014.

The event, which will take place Friday and Saturday in Kolkata, of CII will witness eminent personalities from the regional cinema and industry.

Some of the event's themes include vision 2020: The roadmap for Bengal, good content makes for good revenue - moving from the stereotype, and overcoming barriers for television in Bengal.

Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, CII, said in a statement: "CII's vision is to take the Indian media and entertainment sector towards achieving 100 billion USD by 2020. Regional is the new national and it fits well for the media and entertainment sector. Our focus on Bengal Bioscope as part of the CII Big Picture Summit is a step in this direction."

In addition to the consumer survey, a series of interviews were conducted to understand the trade insights of the film industry through in depth interactions with producers, actors, directors, distributors, exhibitors and broadcasters of Bengali cinema.

Hemant Mehta, senior vice president, Media and Retail, IMRB International, said: "The study encompasses the key constituents of the industry - producers, creative artists, distributors- as well the opinions of consumers who decide the fate of the creative products."