Audience divide will always remain in Bengali films: Prosenjit

Bengali superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee, whose action thriller "One" is up against Kaushika Ganguly's National Award-winner "Bisorjon", is confident that both the movies will do well at the box office.
While "One" has a commercial setting, Ganguly's drama is a cross-border love story. Both released on April 14.
"Films like Kaushik's 'Bisorjon' or Goutam Ghose's 'Sankhachil' will have more successful weeks in urban screens catering to a niche audience while films like 'One' by Birsha Dasgupta will run in both urban and semi-urban and rural pockets. This trend has prevailed always," Prosenjit told PTI here.
The actor said he did not foresee any dilution of audience share for either of the films for the same reason.

"This has been the trend in past also and there has not been much change in audience segmentation. When Rituparno (Ghosh) made his films, the screens were shared by films of Swapan Saha, Haranath Chakraborty, Anjan Chowdhury and the audience profile of two genres of films were not the same.
"Also when Srijit Mukherjee's 'Autograph' was released, the screens were shared by 'Dui Prithivi' of Raj Chakraborty. But being totally different genre of films, none of the releases ate into other's audience share."

Prosenjit said that though the number of releases as well as the hype over numerous awards suggest happy days are back for Bengali films, there is a need to expand the market as the production cost has gone up.

"During good times everyone tries to get his (or her) film released to cash in on the feel-good effect. But the fact remains with so many films getting ready for release at the same time, they are not getting proper space, but it is not intended.
"For example after the release of 'Bisorjon' and 'One', 'Durga Sohay' is slated to hit the screens by April end, then in May 'Posto' and 'Amar Apanjan' will release on the same date. In between, there will be other films. I sincerely believe that with all these films lined up for release one after another, we need to increase the number of single screens and push the horizon," he said.

The 54-year-old actor-producer said he always wanted to play a negative role and "One" happened at the right time.
"I was looking for a negative role and One's Aditya Sen fitted the bill. It was shades different from Prabir in 'Baise Srabon'. Negative roles can be of various types. But all the negative characters must be characters with sense."
Asked about YouTube, Netflix posing challenge to the big screen as the medium for young generation, Prosenjit said, "Cinema has its own magic. When DVD came, when TV was introduced for first time, there was apprehension that people won't be flocking to cinema halls any more. But that fear was belied. Films like 'Chander Pahar' sequel or 'Kakababu' sequel with 3D effects can't be enjoyed on mobile or desktop.