TÊTE-À-TÊTE: HASSAN IMAM
Keeping it up through decades
Although the cinema halls of the country are fast losing their usual number of viewers, Balaka and Balaka 2 are both struggling hard to keep up the reputation which earned over the years. The original hall was first opened to the public in 1964 with the film Dui Bhai. In tracing back to the commencement and following up to the present conditions of these halls, Showkot Marcel Khan had a candid discussion recently with Hassan Imam, owner and managing director of the two halls
SMK: Under the present circumstances how do you manage to maintain the cinema halls?
HI: It all depends on the quality of the films. If the film is a hit with the viewers, the hall automatically runs well. Maner Majhey Tumi, Khairun Sundari, Bachelor, Molla Barir Bou prove that viewers want to see quality films rather than third rate films with obscenity. Sometimes when we find any film containing obscene scenes even after being through the Censor Board, we cut the scenes before the screening. It is really very disheartening to see viewers coming out at the end of a film, upset and disappointed.
SMK: What was the objective behind building a hall like Balaka?
HI: My father M A Hassan was involved in films. He had a strong desire to set up an elegant cinema hall where good films would be screened. So he bought a partially constructed building from Vamzee. He ventured on the journey in the hope of providing more quality films for the public. One completed, the hall was considered as one of the finest cinema theatres in the then Pakistan.
SMK: It must have taken you a long time to build the reputation you pride in today.
HI: We are committed to screening good movies, irrespective of their being foreign or Bangla. We screen English films pretty often, because the production of good Bangla films has drastically gone down. In fact our priority is to satisfy the viewers expectation rather than focusing on profit. While reminiscing the past he said, ‘While showing Hero No 1, some students questioned us as to why we were running such film? The film unfortunately contained some obscene shots. A strong commitment to the viewers’ sentiment and by trying to screen quality films has helped us to establish our good name.
SMK: How do plan to attract the younger generation?
HI: We have installed a wide screen, set up a Dolby Digital Sound and all other modern equipment. Besides, beautifully constructed and air conditioned Balaka has a spacious lobby with a café corner where the viewers can relax before the show starts. The hall can seat 1015 viewers at a time.
Hassan Movies, a sister concern of Balaka imports good quality films from abroad. Charlie’s Angels, Mission Impossible 2, Spiderman and other box office hits have been screened at Balaka. Hassan Movies have plans to make quality films very soon.
SMK: What could be the role of the hall owners for removing obscenity in the films? How can the government play a role in improving the current situation?
HI: The government should take a bold decision for removing obscenity from the films. Many hall owners exhibit cut pieces for business purposes, just to earn extra money. Directors, producers, artistes, film crew or hall owners, whoever is in anyway involved in the heinous crime should be dealt with severe punishment. This is the only way, I think, we can stop obscenity in our films.
Moreover, we are paying 35 percent tax for every ticket. Every theatre, big or small, old or new has to pay the same amount of tax. How many tickets does a cinema hall sell at a show? Many exhibitors show poor sale for cheating on tax. I think the government should have different grades of tax for the halls; halls without air-conditioning should pay Tk 3000 as tax while the large air-conditioned halls should pay Tk 5000 a day. This system might help reduce the tendency of tax evasion.
SMK: What are your views on showing Indian films?
HI: I am dead against showing Indian film.
Shyamal Chhaya goes to Palm Film Fest
CULTURAL CORRESPONDENT
Shyamal Chhaya, a film based on our glorious war of independence, has been invited to the celebrated Palm International Film Festival 2006, in South America.
The festival will begin from January 5, 2006 and will continue till January 16.
Produced by Impress Telefilm the film is scripted and directed by Humayun Ahmed, the cast including Riaz, Shawon, Tania, Shimul, Humayun Faridee, Ahmed Rubel, Dr Ijaj and others.
It can be mentioned here that the film has also been nominated for the 78th Academy Award in the foreign language category.
Besides, the film was screened at the 6th Bangladesh Film Festival 2005 in London and at the 11th Kolkata Film Festival 2005. Moreover, Magnolia Pictures and Sony Pictures Classic are planning to have the film screened in America. The film has already won some awards both at home and abroad.
Nature’s Fury begins on Dec 26
ROBAB ROSAN
The Drik Picture Library will arrange a two week group photography exhibition titled Nature’s Fury to honour and remember the victims of the recently occurred devastating earthquakes and tsunami. The exhibition will begin on December 26 at the Drik gallery in Dhanmondi.
The exhibition will be jointly inaugurated by Gamini Sarath Munasinghe, high commissioner of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mohammad Beheshti Monfared, the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Shahid M G Kiani, the deputy high commissioner of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, the vice chancellor of the BRAC University at 5:00pm on the day.
Twenty eight photographers from Iran are participating in the exhibition and they have taken photographs on earthquakes in the historic Iranian city of Bam. Noted photographer Shahidul Alam has taken the photographs of the tsunami in Sri Lanka and the earthquakes in Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. According to the organisers, the photographers will present not only the destruction by natural disasters but will also uphold the struggles of humans in recovering from the ashes of ruins.
Jashem Ghazbanpour, Mehdi Ghasemi, Hosein Hatami, Behzad Tarkizadeh, Morteza Nikoo Bazi Motlagh, Abbas Kowsari, Zohreh Khosh Namak, Saeed Mohmodi Aznaveh, Mohammad Ebrahim Safi, Afshin Shahroodi, Ali Reza Karimi Saremi, Hasan Sarbakhshian, Majid Saeedi, Masoud Zendeh Rouh Kermani and Forhad Soleimani are among the Iranian photographer.
About his experience in Pakistan, Shahidul Alam
said in his writing, ‘It was Amjad the driver who observed as we approached Ballakot, ‘this was a city; now it’s a graveyard.’
About the tsunami in Sri Lanka he wrote, ‘I arrived after the event. The tsunami had come and gone. And, in Trincomalee, the placid water of the ancient tanks gave no sense of the horror on Boxing Day.’ The exhibition will remain open for all from 3:00pm to 8:00pm till January 8, 2006.
Moore wins Brazil critics’ prize
BBC ONLINE
The largest exhibition of Henry Moore's works seen outside Europe has received a top award from the Sao Paulo Art Critics Association in Brazil.
The association named the exhibition of work by the Yorkshire artist, who died in 1986, the best international visual arts show of 2005.
It was produced by the British Council and the Henry Moore Foundation, with sponsorship from Brazilian companies.
Police are still searching for Moore's £3m Reclining Figure, stolen last week.
The 11ft bronze work which weighs more than two tons
was taken from the Perry
Green Estate in Much Hadham, Herts.
Henry Moore's winning exhibition, which was also sponsored by the Cultura Inglesa, was shown at the Pinacoteca in Sao Paulo before going on to Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia.
King Kong knocks out film critics
REUTERS, Los Angeles
The hirsute star of Peter Jackson's King Kong will receive a special honour at the 11th annual Critics' Choice Awards on January 9.
The Broadcast Film Critics Assn., the group behind the event, created the Distinguished Achievement in Performing Arts Award to recognize what it called ‘the singular achievement in creating this character, representing a revolutionary leap forward in synthesizing visual effects with an actor's performance.’
The award will be accepted by Andy Serkis, the actor who breathed life into Kong. Jackson and his crew are creating new footage for the event.
George Clooney already has been announced as the recipient of the BFCA's Freedom Award in honour of his work as director, co-writer and co-star of ‘Good Night, and Good Luck.’
The Critics' Choice Awards, hosted by Dennis Miller, will be held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and broadcast live on WB Network.
Phire Aso Ranjana in market
CULTURAL CORRESPONDENT
SMV BD releases Phire Aso Ranjana, a solo album comprising twelve songs by Amal Das.
The numbers are Lal shari pare, Ektu agey nurse, Je chakshu dekhe, Ekhono ki maaj raat, Bhalo ekta ghar, and others. The album is now available in the market.
Shasti grabs 14th Kalakar Award
CULTURAL CORRESPONDENT
Like previous years, the 14th Kalakar Award will be given on January 22, 2006 at the Science City Auditorium in Kolkata. Though this prestigious award has been given among the stars from Bollywood and Tallywood film industries it’s for the first time that a Bangladeshi film titled Shasti by Chashi Nazrul Islam has been nominated for the award.
Parineeta and Nishijapan, two films have been nominated in the best film category while Rani Mukherji and Kankana Sen Sharma have been nominated for Black and Page 3 respectively. Awards will be handed over to the recipients through a gala event.
TODAY’S PICK
The Bourne Supremacy
Acacademy Award Winner, Matt Damon (The Brother's Grimm, Ocean's Twelve) is back as expert assassin, Jason Bourne in the sequel to the box-office smash, ‘The Bourne Identity’.
Bourne is dragged back into the shadowy world of international espionage when he becomes the main suspect in a CIA sting gone wrong.
Relentlessly pursued by a ruthless cartel bent on framing him, Bourne is forced to retaliate in explosive fashion when his past refuses to leave him alone.
The film is based on a Robert Ludlum novel and makes compelling use of exotic international locations while maintaining the crackling pace and aggressive style of its predecessor.
Franka Potente, star of ‘Run Lola Run’ and ‘Creep’, and Emmy Award winning actor Brian Cox - who starred in ‘Red Eye’ and ‘Troy’ -- reprise their respective roles as Bourne's girlfriend Marie and ex-Treadstone agent Ward Abbott.
The Bourne Supremacy
HBO
9:30pm
Starring
Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles
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