When will the lights come back on at five cineplexes damaged in July Uprising?

A year after vandalism during July Uprising, owners blame continued closures on a film famine, poor business, and security fears

Five cineplexes were vandalised and looted during the July Uprising last year. More than a year later, none of them has been able to reopen.

Narayanganj’s Gulshan Cineplex, Sirajganj’s Roots Cineclub, Rajshahi’s Star Cineplex, Natore’s Anando Cineplex and Chattogram’s Silver Screen were attacked last year.

Of these, Rajshahi’s Star Cineplex and Natore’s Anando Cineplex remain untouched since the violence, while the other three have been repaired and are technically ready to screen films.

But owners of the refurbished theatres say a lack of quality films, a slump in the cinema business, and security concerns are keeping them from bouncing back.

‘NO FILMS TO SHOW’

Rais Uddin Ahmed Shaheen, managing director of Narayanganj’s Gulshan Cineplex, told Glitz:

“Our hall has been closed since last August. There’s no plan to reopen for now. The main reason is that there are no good films to show. Business isn’t good. Outside Eid, no worthwhile films are released. I can’t run a hall at a loss all year.”

Six films were released during Eid-ul-Azha in June. In the three months since, only three more — "Ali", "Ural" and "Jalrong" — have come out. "Jalrong" was first released on OTT platforms and only later in theatres, while the others also migrated to streaming within two months.

At the cineplexes, a handful of Hollywood films are showing, but no Bangla films. Many single-screen halls have resorted to screening 1990s “cut-piece” films or old Shakib Khan blockbusters.

Faruk Ahmed, director of Chattogram’s Silver Screen Cineplex, echoed the same concern.

“Renovation work was finished a while back. We want to reopen, but there’s no content. At Eid, four or five films release, but they don’t last beyond two weeks.

"With staff salaries, rent, and taxes, we can’t cover costs. Some Hollywood films are available, but nothing from the subcontinent.

“If we had films, then we could balance profit and loss and weather a bad month with a good one. But with only two or three films a year making money during Eid, you can’t run a hall year-round.”

With no films in sight, he said, keeping the hall closed “is better”.

On Aug 5, 2024, Roots Cineclub in Sirajganj was destroyed in an attack. Owner Samina Islam Nee claims it incurred damages of nearly Tk 20 million.

“We took a long time with repairs. But there are no new quality films. To reopen, we need staff, and we have to take responsibility for them. Without films, it’s not possible. Opening just for the two Eids only hurts us financially,” she told Glitz.

She also raised security concerns.

“If some foreign films came in, we’d feel encouraged. But imports are banned, local films aren’t coming out, and what does get released isn’t drawing audiences. What would we achieve by reopening?

“Security is also an issue. Crowds form, people harass whoever they like. If we reopen, we don’t even have that protection.”

For years, Samina had been developing a “box office system” for Bangladesh cinema.

After the vandalism, that project stalled.

“We were about to launch a platform called Book BD Show. We were in the final stages. But the destruction set us back. We were working on a central server for the halls. Now everything has stopped,” she said.

Explaining the concept, Samina said: “It was a platform for our films, to provide producers and hall owners with transparent show and audience data. Producers could log in and see how many shows their film had, and how many viewers attended. We wanted to launch the box office system in August. But given the situation in the country, we couldn’t.”

The Rajshahi branch of Star Cineplex, located in the Hi-Tech Park, was also vandalised last year. The 172-seat theatre’s reopening date is uncertain.

Mesbahuddin Ahmed, senior manager of media and marketing at Star Cineplex, said: “Reopening something that has been broken takes time. The venue was under a government project, and we operated on a lease. Restarting on government property takes time, with procedures to clear before reopening.”

Anando Cineplex in Natore could not be repaired at all due to financial hardship.

Owner Anisur Rahman said, “In August last year, the hall was attacked, vandalised and looted. It’s still in that condition. We filed a case, but nothing has progressed. Financially, we can’t renovate. The associations know, but we’ve had no help. We simply don’t have the means.”

Beyond the damaged halls, even some single-screen halls not hit during the movement have shut down because of the lack of films.

Dhaka’s Madhumita Cinema Hall ran for a month after Eid before closing.

Owner Iftekhar Ahmed Naushad said, “During Eid, Shakib Khan’s 'Taandob' did well, followed by 'Utshob'. Later, we screened 'Borbaad' for a few days, but there were very limited audiences. So we’ve kept the hall closed for two months.

“Maintenance is going on,” he added. “If good films come, we’ll reopen; otherwise, it will stay closed.”

In Bogura, Madhuban Cineplex has also struggled.

Managing Director Rokonuzzaman Yunus said, “'Jinn-3' is showing, but audiences aren't coming. We showed 'Ural' before this, but that had no viewers either. Since Eid, we haven’t been able to do business.”

WHAT NEXT FOR THE INDUSTRY?

Asked whether any steps were being taken to solve the crisis, Sudipta Kumar Das, advisor to the Film Exhibitors’ Association, said they had recently met with the information secretary.

“The meeting included producers, bankers, and representatives from the industries ministry. We requested an extension of the Tk 10 billion loan scheme for hall renovations. We also proposed to the joint secretary of the industries ministry that cinema be declared a ‘sick industry’.

“Halls are in poor shape: no renovations, no films. Business can’t survive on the releases for the two Eids a year.

“We also raised the issue of electricity bills. We’re charged at commercial rates. If billed at industrial rates, we’d save some money. All this was discussed.”

He added that importing foreign films and boosting domestic production were also discussed. Another meeting will be convened to take final decisions, though the date has not yet been fixed.