It has been a topsy-turvy ride for West Bengal ever since the horrific rape incident at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Needless to say, the impact has been felt by all including the regional television and entertainment industry. The continuous protest has led to the postponement of film releases, besides a break in shooting. For instance, actor and TMC MP Dipak Adhikari (popularly known as Dev) postponed the teaser release of his upcoming film Khadaan, another TMC MLA and director Raj Chakraborty also postponed the special screening of Babli, featuring Bengali stars like Abir Chatterjee, Subhashree Ganguly. It is believed that delays in film screening will adversely impact the industry. “Several movie releases were halted, due to the horrific incident of RG Kar and Bangladesh Protests. Movies featuring prominent actors have also had to change their plans. Ultimately, it is a loss for every sub-sector of the industry. What this means is the money spent on advertising is a burn on the pocket,” Arijit Dutta, actor and owner, Priya Cinema, Kolkata, told BrandWagon Online. The grim situation To be sure, the Bangla film industry has been on a downward curve when it comes to revenue in the last few years. As per industry experts on average Bangla audiences watch fewer films when compared with Tamil, Telegu and Hindi. “Bengali films grossed Rs 66 crore at the box office in 2023, marking a 14% decline from Rs 77 crore in 2022. Only three films, Dawshom Awbotar, Pradhan and Bagha Jatin surpassed the Rs 5 crore box office mark in 2o23. As of July 2024, the estimated gross box office for Bangla films stood at Rs 19 crore with no films yet crossing the Rs 5 crore landmark. According to Ormax Media’s ‘Sizing the Cinema: 2024’ report, four million people watched Bangla films in theatres in 2023, resulting in a total of 6.2 million footfalls. On average, Bengali audiences watched 1.6 Bengali films in the theatre in 2023, one of the lowest averages across film audiences in India, compared to 9.2 for Telugu, 8.1 for Tamil, and 3.0 for Hindi,” Sanket Kulkarni, head- business development (theatrical), Ormax media said. Typically, the cost of producing an episode of a fiction show ranges between for networks such as Walt-Disney Company India (Star India) and Viacom18 ranges anywhere between Rs 2-2.5 lakhs on average. Compared to this for other network, the cost reduces to Rs 1-1.5 lakh. Typically, channels spend about s aboyt 60-65% of the total cost on production this includes fees of blue collar workers. . For industry experts even as shooting continues in many cases body doubles are being. “Although shootings have not halted or reduced in numbers, some celebrities have decided to stay away temporarily. Several celebrities were trolled by netizens. Most probably they weren’t able to convey their message properly and hence their message was percieved in a wrong manner. However, people have the right to protest against anything they feel is wrong. Apart from celebrities, regular participants have also shown their discomfort in participating in these shows for now,” a creative director in a Bengali reality show said on the condition of anonymity. Also ReadFantasy sports success linked to skill, not just chance; reveals study Bang for the buck! Apart from earning from movies or shows, celebrities follow two or three models to earn money. As per the Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023 by Kroll, the first and most popular model is called the fixed fee and term engagement model. As per this model, a celebrity will be contracted for a specified period (usually one or two years) for a fixed-fee payment which will be made through an initial signing amount with the balance to be paid upon completion of specified activities.These celebrities are called brand ambassadors owing to their long-term association with the endorsed product. There is no exception in Bengal also. Celebrities like Abir Chatterjee, Anirban Bhattacharya, and Parambrata Chatterjee among others promote several brands. According to industry estimates, Bangla actors on television earn anywhere between Rs 65,000-80,000 per episode.Experts believe actors who have made controversial comments on the RG Kar rape and murder case will face their consequences in terms of brand endorsements. “Stars from West Bengal who have made controversial comments on the RG Kar hospital rape and have positioned themselves politically are going to suffer from a lack of brand endorsement. Brands do not like endorsers to divide markets. When a star makes such a comment, it divides the market. Typically, a star always takes a position, and that position is opposed by yet another constituency. Brands love endorsers who unite markets rather than divide markets. So, brand endorsers must remain neutral, and be with humanity by and large,” Harish Bijoor, brand-strategy specialist and founder, Harish Bijoor Consults, said. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook
