CII- IMRB jointly unveils 'Bengal Bioscope'

CII has partnered with IMRB International conducting a study on Bengali film industry that focuses on understanding the emerging business models, importance of internet and innovative viewer engagement methods that are vital for the growth of the industry.

As a part of this project IMRB conducted a first of its kind consumer survey across eight districts in urban West Bengal to learn the changing nature of film viewership and the general perception of Bengali films among its target audience. In addition to the consumer survey, a series of interviews were conducted to understand the trade insights of the film industry through in depth interactions with producers, actors, directors, distributors, exhibitors and broadcasters of Bengali cinema.

The report titled ‘Bengal Bioscope: A Big Picture Outlook for Sustainable Growth’ will be launched at CII’s upcoming event CII Big Picture Summit – Vision Bengal, 2014 on 12th and 13th December in Kolkata. The two day event will witness eminent personalities from the Regional cinema and industry alike deliberating on the ways to realize the potential of the Bengali Media & Entertainment industry by touching upon key themes like Vision 2020: The Roadmap for Bengal, New era in Media- Innovation as the key driver, Conducive Policy Regime - enabler and facilitator for unlocking value to the Industry, Removing the Investment Conundrum in Bengal, Good Content makes for Good Revenue – moving from the Stereotype, and Overcoming barriers for Television in Bengal.

Commenting on the report, Hemant Mehta, SVP, Media & Retail, IMRB International, said, “We are delighted to partner CII in assessing the current status of the Bengali film industry and in formulating the strategies for taking Bengali film industry to newer heights. The study encompasses the key constituents of the industry - producers, creative artists, distributors- as well the opinions of consumers who decide the fate of the creative products. With the increasing investment in infrastructure and production as well as growing consumer interest in regional cinema, we see a very bright future for Bengali film industry which has always been a flag bearer of creative excellence”.

Commenting on the initiative, Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, said “CII’s vision is to take the Indian Media and Entertainment sector towards achieving 100 billion USD by 2020. CII expects that this growth will also come from regional Media & Entertainment markets across India. Regional is the new national and it fits well for the Media & Entertainment sector. Our focus on Bengal Bioscope as part of the CII Big Picture Summit is a step in this direction. Bengali Cinema has an enviable past and it continues to be one of the most vibrant regional film industries in the country. We at CII thank the key industry stakeholders for sharing their valuable views and supporting us in generating these insights. We are sure that the findings from our study will provide the guideline and a much needed fillip to the industry, taking it on a more sustainable growth trajectory”.

Key Findings:
·         Majority of Bengali film viewers in Kolkata have not been in theatres in last one year to watch a Bengali film despite proliferation of multiplexes.
·         In the districts around two thirds have visited the halls to catch a Bengali film but the frequency of visits are quite low, not even three films in a year.
·         Around 30% of Bengali cinema viewers do not contemplate watching a Bengali film in a hall in near future and an additional 10% have stopped watching Bengali films on big screens in the last one year
·         This is further corroborated by IMRB’s primary survey of 35 single screen theatres across Kolkata and West Bengal revealing 30% occupancy on weekends and around 20% on weekdays
·         The tastes and preference of viewers in Kolkata and rest of Bengal are quite different which is echoed by only handful of releases successfully straddling both geographies
·         Original engaging content, a larger pool of good actors/ directors and better in hall experience can drive Bengalis back to cinema halls.

The study reveals that Bengali cinema today releases around a 100 odd films every year which is almost three times higher than comparable figures in 2005 and the total investment pumped into the industry is pegged at 150 – 180 crores INR. The report also draws parallel with Marathi Film industry, which is perceived as the closest kin to Bengali industry interms of content, distribution and production values.