Two Bangladeshi films, “Sneher Bondhon” and “Cut-Piece”, released at Lion Cinemas in Keraniganj, Dhaka, during Durga Puja, have struggled to attract audiences since their opening day.
At one evening screening of “Sneher Bondhon”, 37 tickets were sold, but 35 were purchased by the film’s producer, director, lead actors and other members of the team who had arrived to promote it. Only two tickets were sold to general audiences. Meanwhile, “Cut-Piece” managed to sell just eight tickets that day.
According to Prothom Alo, Lion Cinemas founder Mirza Abdul Khaleque said on Saturday evening that several screenings of both films had attracted no viewers on their opening day. By Saturday evening, not a single ticket had been sold for two scheduled screenings of the films.
Directed by Kamruzzaman and produced by Shah Alam, “Sneher Bondhon” stars Joy Chowdhury and Mou Khan in the lead roles.
Ahead of its release, the film’s cast and producer travelled around Dhaka on an open-top bus to promote it. Promotional campaigns were also conducted through several social media pages.
Following the release, some film-related social media pages claimed that viewers were leaving theatres in tears after watching “Sneher Bondhon”, while others described it as a film suitable for family audiences.
However, the ticket sales at Lion Cinemas painted a different picture.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Khaleque questioned the financialpite promotional spending
“When we are asked to screen films like these, I always say the same thing. Money is spent on printing posters and other promotional activities before release. Making such films already involves financial losses, and then there are additional expenses before their release,” he said.
“If they didn’t request screenings, I wouldn’t have to show these films. I could save on electricity, air conditioning and other expenses. But who listens? If they hadn’t released the films, my losses would have been a little lower,” he added.
Expressing frustration over the poor turnout, the cinema owner said, “Not a single ticket was sold throughout the day. In the evening, 37 tickets were sold, and 35 of those were bought by people associated with the film! This is not how the country’s film industry will progress.”
He stressed the importance of producing quality films and generating genuine audience interest.
“Good films need to be made first. If those films are promoted properly, people will naturally come to watch them. Most importantly, word of mouth after watching a film is essential,” he said.
“Sneher Bondhon” has also been released in 13 other cinemas across the country, although reports suggest that audience turnout at those venues has been similarly disappointing.
“Cut-Piece” has also reportedly struggled to draw viewers.
