The Big Bong Theory

Human beings are generally known to be a highly emotional lot. Whether we agree or not, whether we show it or not, whether we emote it or not. The Master Satyajit Ray once said, “You need a happy ending. However, if you can create tragic situations and jerk a few tears before the happy ending, it will work much better”. He knew more than anyone else that cinema ‘is’ the highest form of commercial art. Does that mean it makes the Oscar Lifetime Achiever any less? I don’t think so. Good cinema and Bad cinema are relative terms, and it is highly based on personal experiences of passionately charged human beings. It either has to emotionally move us or intellectually stimulate us, and/or both.  And now, the sheer production value and ‘star’ cast has to take us into a different planet.

Coming from a corporate background, having worked in US with a big multinational and studied abroad I was a complete novice in the film industry, more so in Bengal, where the word ‘industry’ is fast becoming obsolete. The challenge and the dynamism of producing a film from a concept to taking it into the big screen is an invigorating and unparalleled experience. “The Bong Connection” was the first film I conceptualized and produced and it brought in a fresh air into the Bengali regional movies, and the Bengali audiences back into the theatres wanting more. The film was shot in Kolkata and Houston, two diametrically opposite worlds of production back in 2007. It was not just a film for me, it was a project. To bring a change in my soil somehow or the other.

“Smart budgets” are key in regional cinema, where content oriented films still work both commercially as well as critically. “Bhooter Bhobishyot” (The Future of the Ghosts/Past) was one such example we had produced in 2012 that has become an iconic Bengali film. “Maacher Jhol” - 2017 (The Fish Curry) that released last year got tremendous national and international commercial recognition and was trending on Netflix as well. “Nagarkirtan” (The Eunuch and The Flute Player - yet to release) that has recently bagged 4 national awards is getting rave reviews and has already been to the Cannes market and is looking promising for a number of international film festivals this year.

Content (again highly subjective), an improvised marketing campaign coupled with tight budgets is what keeps the Bengali regional cinema still ticking. I still believe India is in a nascent stage of evolution as far as content is concerned, that cuts across all genres pan India. However, there is a market for each strata of society especially with the digital divide becoming narrower. We will see that most of the drama will become TV and web-based, and only the larger than life films will work at the box office. For Bengali films, content is still king, however, competition from Hollywood and the Hindi films there has been a depletion of footfalls. A ‘Nagarkirtan’ can never compete with a “Jurassic Park” or a “Thugs of Hindustan”.

India is going through an inflection point right now with content, especially in Feature Films for Theatres and OTT web space. Nobody really knows what will work (a global phenomenon actually), but I just feel things done with attention and focus can catapult us into the international content creation scenario, a long-term vision is required instead of just trying to make a quick buck and get on the wagon.

(The Author is Joy Ganguly, Producer of Mojo Productions. He is a producer and actor, known for Nagarkirtan (2017), The Bong Connection (2006) and Bhooter Bhabishyat (2012)).