Three Bangladeshi films hit cinemas on 16 October for Durga Puja, but the festive release rush has yet to bring the crowds. Sneher Bondhon, Cut-Piece and Chirkut all struggled during their first three days, according to cinema operators and ticket-sales figures, with Sneher Bondhon faring worst.
At Lion Cinemas in Keraniganj, Dhaka, 35 of the 37 tickets sold for one screening of Sneher Bondhon went to the film’s producer, director, lead actors and other people involved in its promotion. Ordinary moviegoers bought just two. Cut-Piece sold only eight tickets that day.
Directed by Kamruzzaman and produced by Shah Alam, Sneher Bondhon stars Joy Chowdhury and Mou Khan. Its promotional campaign included an open-top bus tour through Dhaka, but the publicity failed to translate into substantial attendance.
The picture was equally bleak at Abhiruchi Cinema Hall in Barishal. Manager Kabir said six people attended the afternoon show on the first day and nine the evening screening.
On Saturday, the noon show sold four tickets and the afternoon show just two. The hall cancelled night-time and special screenings because of poor attendance.
Kabir said around 20 people attended throughout Friday, with the evening show cancelled for lack of viewers. The situation barely improved over the next two days.
“People simply do not want to watch films now,” he said, adding that cinema attendance in Barishal was already low. “A good story can bring in some viewers, but many people have also criticised the quality of this film. Ticket sales have been poor. When audiences do not come, the screenings cannot go ahead.”
At 3:40pm, the scheduled screening time had passed, but not a single viewer had arrived, Kabir said.
Lion Cinemas head Mirza Abdul Khaleque also questioned whether films were offering audiences enough value for money.
“What can I say? Are these even films? Why would people spend money to watch them?” he said. “A cinema outing costs at least Tk500. If viewers do not feel they have got their money’s worth, why would they go?”
Khaleque confirmed that Cut-Piece sold only eight tickets on the first day, with little improvement over the following two days. He said Lion Cinemas did not remove films from its schedule, but suspended screenings when nobody turned up.
There was some cause for optimism at Ulka Cinema Hall. Its managing director, Mohammad Rafiquddin, said ticket sales reached around Tk20,000 on each of the first two days before attendance declined on the third. Despite missing expectations, he remained hopeful about Bangladeshi cinema.
Cut-Piece, directed by Iffat Jahan Momo, explores the criminal underworld of the garment-waste trade and opened at 23 cinemas, including Sony Cinema Hall in Mirpur.
Chirkut, directed by Muntashir Akib and starring Shamol Mawla and Azizun Mim, draws on a real incident at Rajshahi University in the 1990s and campus nostalgia. Neither has generated the expected response so far.
The early figures raise concerns about cinema economics. When screenings attract only a handful of viewers, ticket revenue struggles to cover operating costs, putting additional pressure on exhibitors in a country with a limited cinema network.
Big releases outside Eid remain relatively uncommon in Dhallywood. Although three films arrived for Puja, the first three days suggest that festive timing and aggressive promotion cannot guarantee ticket sales.
Weak storytelling, production limitations and changing audience tastes may all play a role, but the available figures do not establish which factor matters most.
The remaining holiday will show whether the films can recover. For now, the message is clear: publicity can put a film in the spotlight, but only audience interest can fill the seats.
