'At Least One Bangla Movie A day In PRIME TIME...': Mamata Banerjee's govt makes BIG announcement about cinemas and multiplexes in Bengal

Kolkata: All movie theaters and multiplexes in the state of West Bengal are required to show Bengali films during prime time every day of the year, according to a notification issued by the state government. This notification was issued on Wednesday by the state's Department of Information and Cultural Affairs, which said, “In every cinema hall, and in all screens (each screen) of every multiplex situated in this State, 365 prime time shows/screenings of Bengali films shall mandatorily be held throughout the year, with at least one Bengali show per day for all 365 days during the year.”

In compliance with the West Bengal Film Act of 1954, the guidelines have been released. The state government has also said that the relevant law will be amended in this regard. Navanna has made it clear that these guidelines will go into effect as soon as they are released and will stay in effect until they are replaced.

What Time Is Prime Time? 

Shows scheduled between 3 and 9 p.m. are considered prime time, according to the directive. This implies that every screen, irrespective of its schedule, ought to set aside a Bengali-language film during a prime time slot each day.

4 Important points of the order issued by Nabanna on Wednesday: 

• Every day, at least one Bengali movie is shown at every theater and multiplex in the state.
• The order is in effect right now and won't change until fresh directives are given.
• This directive would eventually be incorporated into changes to the West Bengal Cinemas (Regulation of Public Exhibitions) Rules, 1956.
• To guarantee that Bengali film is available to viewers all year long, 365 prime time screenings (between 3 and 9 p.m.) will take place.

Promote Regional Cinema

In a period where Hindi, South, and worldwide releases predominate, the action aims to promote regional cinema and guarantee that Bengali films receive more exposure. Although the state government has supported Bengali filmmaking in the past, this is the first time that such a stringent display restriction has been put into place. This could, however, cause theater owners to worry about scheduling flexibility.

Bengali Language Politics

Many believe that Trinamool intends to use the Bengali identity and language as a weapon against the BJP in the assembly elections of 2026. Therefore, Mamata has requested that Trinamool leaders and workers at all levels to participate in processions every Saturday and Sunday in the name of the language movement in order to hold political programs against the BJP. This time, administrative actions have also been taken.

Also Read: Impact of language politics in Eastern India - How vote conflicts are reshaping Bengal, Assam, Bihar

Earlier, the municipal authorities were on the path of making signboards written in Bengali mandatory in various shops and institutions in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area. This time, it was said that all movie theaters would have to screen Bengali films.