How are Bengali films faring in Tollywood amidst RG Kar case?

In the midst of the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case, Tollywood saw the release of two Bengali films—Srijit Mukherji's biopic on Mrinal Sen, "Padatik", and Raj Chakraborty's "Babli". 

The aftermath of the incident led to the postponement of several Bengali film releases. Chanchal Chowdhury starrer "Padatik" and Subhashree Ganguly starrer "Babli" were released on August 15. However, it was evident from the beginning that the controversy surrounding RG Kar had dampened the public's interest in watching Bengali films. 

Firdausul Hasan, the producer of "Padatik", stated, "The number of shows in the second week was reduced by half compared to the first week. However, more viewers are coming to watch the film this week compared to the previous one," reported Anandabazar. 

Firdausul also acknowledged that many viewers were reluctant to watch films during this period. He expressed that, given the time and opportunity, he would have postponed the release. The recent protests in Bangladesh prevented actor Chanchal Chowdhury from coming to India, which, according to Firdausul, limited the film's promotion. He said, "We halted the film's promotion. If Chanchal could have been present, perhaps more people would have been aware of the film."

A 31-year-old trainee doctor's dead body, bearing multiple injuries and signs of rape, was found on August 9 at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, India.

Following the RG Kar incident, Raj Chakraborty also stopped promoting "Babli", as he too stood in solidarity with the victim seeking justice. However, Raj mentioned that several shows of "Babli" were sold out. He said, "There was a slight dip in audience turnout for a while, but ticket sales have increased this week." Raj revealed that the film earned nearly Rs 9 million in its first three days.

Raj believes that under normal circumstances, the film's performance could have been even better. He speculates that the recent student protests in the state might have deterred some potential viewers from going to the cinema. However, he is not overly concerned about the film's performance at the moment. He remarked, "Making a film takes a lot of effort, so it hurts a bit. But right now, we need to focus on rebuilding society. The films can wait."

The situation is different in North Kolkata's Star Theatre, where both films had one show each in the first week. This week, however, "Babli" is being screened alongside the Hindi film "Stree 2". Jaideep Mukherjee, representing the theatre, said, "We gave space to Bengali films, but we need to cover our expenses! We had no choice but to screen Hindi films now."

With Durga Puja just a month away, filmmakers are eager to secure showtimes for their movies. Jaideep suggested that filmmakers should coordinate with theatre owners before scheduling their releases to ensure better outcomes. However, Jaideep does not fully agree that the RG Kar incident has significantly impacted the Bengali film industry. He questioned, "If that were the case, why are people watching 'Stree 2'? If the audience wants to watch a film, they will."

It is clear that the horrific case of RG Kar has had an impact on the box-office performance of Bengali films. As the next batch of Bengali films gears up for release in the coming months, many are cautiously optimistic, keeping in mind that the Puja releases are just around the corner.