Mamata Banerjee Govt Orders Daily Prime-Time Bengali Film Screenings In Cinema Halls

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-08-13 12:33:55 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-14 03:55:11

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government has ordered daily prime-time screenings of Bengali films in cinema halls, stipulating that "prime time" refers specifically to the period between 3:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

The decision came after a meeting between the Film Producers' Association and the West Bengal Government Secretary, according to local media reports.

This development effectively boosts the visibility of regional cinema at the expense of national and international films, which have previously enjoyed comparatively higher visibility due to wider release schedules and bigger budgets.

Industry experts believe the move could hinder the box office prospects of Hindi films in the state, while also pushing up the screening time of local films.

Only Bengali films that are certified by the Censor Board and have a proper release date will be eligible for the prime-time screening.

"We are allocating prime time specifically for Bengali films between 3 pm and 9 pm. The remaining 16 hours, you can screen whatever you want," Mrityunjoy Dev Roy, the Vice President of the West Bengal Film Producers' Association, was quoted as saying.

The order is set to be implemented effective immediately, with the revised guidelines being communicated to all cinema hall owners across the state.

While the exact impact of this decision remains to be seen, one thing is certain: it marks a significant development in the state's film industry and could potentially reshape the landscape of the Indian cinema industry as a whole.

Did this development come as a surprise to you? Do you think it will positively impact the regional cinema industry? Do you think it will impact the Hindi film industry's box office collections in the state? Share your thoughts on this groundbreaking decision.

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