Why can’t Tollywood make counter-narratives to B’wood films showing Bengal in bad light

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh, on Friday, questioned why Bengali cinema cannot create a counter-narrative to movies created by a section of Bollywood showing West Bengal in a negative light.

His observation comes a day after Calcutta High Court’s division bench of Chief Justice T. S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya refused to put a stay on the release of Sanoj Mishra-directed 'The Diary of West Bengal', scheduled on Friday.

On Friday morning, Ghosh made a social media post claiming that he feels sad that many film directors, producers and actors attached to Bollywood create movies to create a positive narrative for BJP.

“Now, there is an attempt to create a negative narrative about Bengal. Why can't their counterparts in the Bengal film industry or Tollywood, who always prefer to share the frame with the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to increase their importance, initiate creating some counter-narratives like the biopic of the Chief Minister,” Ghosh said.

According to him, in reality, the technicians attached to the Bengal film industry are more sensitive than celebrities. “They are big names. But in reality, many of them are a burden for the party. They stay with the party in good times and become silent when the party goes through a bad phase. They never come forward to explain the reality,” Ghosh expressed in his social media statement.

He also claimed that these celebrities do not participate in any party unless specifically asked. “They even refrain from making social media posts. Are they not aware that the film to be released will malign the image of West Bengal nationally and globally? But they will not do anything to create a counter-narrative. Some of them are serious. The party should think about such so-called influential celebrities,” Ghosh added.

In May last year, after the release of the trailer of the movie on YouTube, Kolkata Police summoned the director for questioning, following a complaint at Amherst Street Police station, alleging that the movie seemed to have been made as a deliberate attempt to malign the image of West Bengal.

Last year, the West Bengal government also drew criticisms over imposing a ban on the screening of 'The Kerala Story' in the state, on the grounds that the content of the movie has elements that can hamper communal harmony in the state.

Director Subrata Sen moved the Supreme Court against the ban and the apex court finally lifted the ban through an order. The state government faced large-scale criticism from the Opposition parties, civil society, intellectuals and celebrities for imposing the ban.