In a hot and humid summer afternoon, I had a pleasant rendezvous with Debashish Biswas, a celebrity moviemaker in Bangladesh. To millions of my readers outside Bangladesh and India, Debashish Biswas may still be an unknown name. But he deserves the opportunity of working in international movie ventures as well as global OTT platforms to show his excellence and brilliance as a film maker. To Debashish, film is in his blood, as his father Dilip Biswas was a legendary film director while his mother Gayatri Biswas is a leading film producer. During our conversation, Debashish and I had discussed a wide range of issue related to Bangla movies and Bangladesh film industry. Here is the transcript:
Shoaib: Your latest sequel film ‘Shoshurbari Zindabad 2’ saw a grand success in the box office. After a very long period of drought in Bangladesh film industry due to numerous reasons, which was further worsened by the COVID pandemic, you took the risk of releasing your latest film when people were almost abandoning the culture of watching movies in cinema halls. What has prompted you in taking such great risk?
Debashish: Indeed, there was risk. There also was confidence. I felt that the audience has not been able watching a favorite movie for a pretty long time. Once they get the film they want to watch, certainly they will go to cinema halls for watching that movie. Secondly, audience in Bangladesh love comedy-based movies. As ‘Shoshurbari Zindabad 2’, we knew it will be well accepted by the audience, and out assessment was correct.
Shoaib: To my knowledge, ‘Shoshurbari Zindabad 2’ has already succeeded in generating revenue multiple folds than the investment amount. With the latest success, what are your next plans?
Debashish: You are correct! ‘Shoshurbari Zindabad 2’ is a commercially successful movie. After many years, this film succeeded in bringing the audience back to the cinema halls. This success has also inspired many producers and directors in launching new ventures. I am also currently working on couple of movie projects, which will be announced in due course of time.
Shoaib: Although you hail from a filmy family background, where your father Dilip Biswas was a legendary filmmaker and mother Gayatri Biswas an eminent film producer, when exactly the interest of becoming a filmmaker whisked in your mind?
Debashish: I have preliminary answer in your question. Film is in my blood. Since I grew up in a filmy family atmosphere, I was always interested in cinema. This interest got intensified in 1996. At that time, my father, Dilip Biswas was making a movie named ‘Ajaante’. Since then, little by little, I have been working with my father. I worked as my father’s assistant for five consecutive years and after learning from him, I produced my first directed movie ‘Shahurbari Zindabad’ in 2001.
Shoaib: If I name a few legendary filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron Guillermo del Toro Gómez, David Lynch, Kathryn Ann Bigelow, Ridley Scott, Woody Allen, Subash Ghai, Mahesh Bhat and if you are offered a chance to work with any of few of them, with whom you would want to team up?
Debashish: If I had this luck, I would spend rest of my life working with everyone. Even so, I myself am not of western style, more of this area, for example, Indian sub-continent genre. So, if I get a chance to work with David Dhawan, Aditya Chopra or Rohit Shetty, I would feel extremely fortunate.
Shoaib: What are the distinctive differences between a Hollywood, Bollywood and Bangladeshi films?
Debashish: As we know, Hollywood is the place which decides the criteria of a film. Their arrangements, acting, romanticism, modernity, cinematography, costumes, makeup, BGM, plot – everything is world class. They can only be compared with themselves. On the other hand, in the case of Bollywood, the element that I like the most in their movies is emotion – a brilliant ability to touch people’s hearts. Also, their music which is very appealing. Bangladeshi film industry namely Dhallywood is our own house, our very own home. We can’t stop from loving this. Although we have many ups and downs – many hurdles, still all of us love and continue to love our own movies and film industry. I believe, one day, Bangladeshi cinema will win the hearts of international audience.
Shoaib: On-demand video streaming or OTT platforms are gradually becoming popular for releasing movies. A large number of filmmakers in the world are already movies being produced by international OTT platforms. Aren’t you interested in making film exclusively for OTT platforms?
Debashish: Definitely I want! There are many offers. But what I plan is doing something real big. In a very large scale and canvas, which we have not yet seen in this country. I am waiting for that offer. Once my expectations and the project matches, I will make movies, web films and web series for international platforms.
Shoaib: Can or should a filmmaker also engage into web series and web film ventures for OTT platforms?
Debashish: It’s an era of globalization. There are many possibilities all around. This OTT platform will eventually rule the entertainment world. So, filmmakers should work on this sector once they get the opportunity.
Shoaib: People say, censorship in a great obstacle to Bangladeshi film industry. What is your opinion?
Debashish: Censorship is a must in cinema. But it must be effective and up-to-date. Apart from this, gradation system can also be introduced if we want in harmony with the needs of the era.
Shoaib: While millions of people throughout the world are already aware of Bollywood and even Tamil movies, Bangladeshi films haven’t yet succeeded in creating an audience base in the world, especially in the Middle East and the Western nations. Why?
Debashish: First of all, how much have we been able to adapt to the world in the era of globalization? In fact, we couldn’t. Bollywood or Tamil industry is ahead of us in all aspects – money, bravery, technical skills, modernity. They are making films by competing with the international films. Which we literally haven’t yet, but I am hopeful.
Shoaib: What are the shortfalls and limitations of Bangladeshi film industry in becoming capable of reaching the international audience?
Debashish: Lack of substantial patronization from the government in a greater degree, lack of focus in making the film also targeting international audience, negligence in adding sub-titles in English and multiple languages, and a greater lack of propensity to distribute Bangladeshi movies in the cinema halls and cineplex in various countries in the world, thus enabling Bangla-speaking populace in those countries in getting access to film made in Bangladesh.
