How do 'seasonal' cinema halls survive throughout the year?

Monowar, the only remaining cinema hall in Jamalpur, is operational only during the two Eids each year. It remains closed the rest of the time, though occasionally, it screens live cricket matches for some extra income.

After the death of its owner, Lebu Mallik, the hall is now run by his second wife. She is now unwilling to continue running the cinema at a loss, and is planning to develop a commercial building on the site instead.

Jhankar Cinema Hall in Dhunat, Bogura, also operates occasionally, when there is a surge in new movies. Isha Khan, the owner, says during off-season, the hall is rented out for various events.

"When there are no good films I rent the hall for different types of functions. Events like welcoming new students and match screenings can be easily organised in the hall," he says. Khan plans to modernise the hall, believing that with more modern amenities, people will be more interested in renting it for various events.

A decade ago, there were over a thousand halls in the country. Now, only around 250 are operational, of which, just 50 to 60 remain open throughout the year. The rest only operate during two Eids, or if a movie is doing exceptionally well among audiences. 

Cinema hall owners, as a result, have been struggling to keep their businesses afloat. Even though the halls remain closed most of the time, they still have to pay for maintenance, such as electricity bills.   

So how do these halls survive the rest of the year?

In 2022, Nur Mohammad Rajyo, a cultural activist, established the 'Rajyo Cineplex' in Tangail. Despite his best efforts, he has been operating it at a loss ever since. Except for special occasions like Eid, it often remains empty, used instead for rehearsals, stage plays, and various social events organised by Rajyo's own theatre group.

 As someone from an affluent background, Rajyo believes it is his social responsibility to continue to run the hall. "There used to be 46 theatres in the district; now there are only three," said Rajyo, adding, "I don't run the cinema hall for profit, but the continuous losses are discouraging." 

Majedul Islam Badol, the owner of Bhai Bhai Cinema in Jamalpur's Dewanganj, says they willingly bear these costs to "keep the cinema halls alive." 

"We cover financial losses through income from our shops and businesses," says the owner of Nandita Cinema Hall in Sujanagar, Pabna, Sonai Sheikh. 

"But this can't go on forever. We need government support and more popular films to keep the halls alive," he added.

One of the prevailing issues is that local films, nowadays, fail to attract the interest of the public. 

Photo: TBS

Isha Khan expressed his disappointment, saying, "Most movies nowadays feel like low-budget dramas, which fail to attract audiences, leading to losses. I manage to offset these losses through other means, but those solely relying on cinema screenings can't survive."

Dipu, the owner of Dipu Cinema Hall in Nageshwari, Kurigram, said, "We can't avail loans from the government to modernise our halls. If we did, and improved the environment, more people would come. We try to keep the halls open year-round, but floods and heatwaves force us to close our doors, adding maintenance costs that are hard for us to bear." 

Several cinema hall owners, including Shah Poran of Purnima Cinema Hall in Cumilla, Mayuri's Ashraful Islam Babu in Jashore, Monihar's Ziaul Islam Mithu, Abhiruchi's Ehteshamul Haque Abid in Barishal, along with several others called on the government to reduce VAT on ticket sales and provide other concessions. 

Despite importing new Hindi movies, the halls  are still unable to return to their old glory. 

According to the audiences, the environment inside the halls is a drawback. The condition inside the ones in smaller towns is particularly poor. Without the renovation and installation of modern facilities, the owners cannot expect people to flock to the halls like old times. 

"Without government support to update the halls with modern facilities, attracting an audience nowadays is tough," commented Badol.

The owners have expressed a willingness to modernise the halls but many lack the financial capability. Moreover, no one has yet received support from the loan fund that the government has established.

Awlad Hossain Uzzal, owner of Lion Cinema Hall in Dhaka and General Secretary of the Bangladesh Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, said, "Banks are reluctant to distribute the reserve fund provided by Bangladesh Bank. Some officials even advise against taking loans. However, if we received this financial aid, many struggling halls could avoid closure."