In our country, or in a broader sense, the Indian subcontinent, the role of a producer in a film project has been more or less confined to financing the project, and nothing else.
Films mostly revolve around the director, reducing the producer into a mere financier. However, in a film project, producers have larger, more important roles to play, as seen in Hollywood where a producer is intricately connected to the film from pre-production to post-production.
However, the Indian subcontinent is learning from the West slowly and a fresh batch of enthusiastic, artistically knowledgeable producers are coming forward to the helm.
In Bangladesh, one such producer is Bijon Imtiaz, an individual who has been leading the Goopy Bagha Production Company along with Arifur Rahman.
Among the films he has produced are 'The Kingdom of Clay Subjects,’ 'Roqaia,’ and the most recent Nuhash Humayun's film 'Moving Bangladesh,’ which has already made big waves in the film world, making its way into prestigious festivals such as Film Independent's Producer Lab 2022, Cannes Marche du Film 2021, etc.
The film has bagged Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
The creative mind agreed to talk to the writer in a conversation that can be termed a virtual adda, where he shared his story, vision and plans.
The virtual adda started with the film ‘Moving Bangladesh.’ With a gleaming smile on his face, Bijon Imtiaz told the story of the day when he met Nuhash Humayun at the Busan International Film Festival in 2019.
The festival was showing Bijon Imtiaz’s film ‘Roqaia,’ and the two men had a lively chat for a few hours. A few days later, Nuhash Humayun told him, “I have a story. Want to hear it?”
That is how the project started in 2019, and Nuhash Humayun has been an amazing partner in this endeavour.
He was asked what pushes him to produce films with unique stories and how the indie filmmakers of the country can make it big as well.
“I believe in growth mentality,” said Bijon Imtiaz, while relaxing in his work station, the desk which has been part of the journey to his astounding feats.
“In my philosophy, talent plays little role. One can only learn from his/her mistakes if he/she has a growth mentality.”
“A brilliant plot is one part of the job, but it is never enough. Many young filmmakers fall for this talent trap; not realising that one failure does not mean that the director does not have talent or lack of capability whatsoever. The tenacity, the grit is the cornerstone of success,” the young producer explained how filmmakers should push themselves.
He compared film producing with start-ups; saying that just like start-ups, profit and success take time here.
The first few years may be hard, success may seem far away; but as long as the filmmakers can improve themselves by grinding through the hard work, they will be successful.
Bijon Imtiaz has a unique perception about making films from a producer’s point of view, “People think that art should be done for art’s sake; I strongly disagree with this holistic approach. Art itself has its value, and the artists should be treated as such.”
The reporter had a long talk with him about the problems that persist in the Bangladeshi film industry.
When asked about the sorry state of the industry, he replied, “In my eyes, the problem is mainly threefold – Lack of market accessibility, lack of innovation, and failing to cope with the taste of the new generation.”
“The market is by no means small in our country, but the problem lies in its accessibility,” he said with an air of confidence, “unless the market becomes more accessible to the viewers, the situation will not change.”
A producer gets only 15-20 per cent of the profit a film makes, yet that profit is also taken by the distributors and hall owners, shared Bijon. At the same time, the big names of the industry are still unwilling to experiment with different themes and try to change to suit the taste of the new demographics.
“They still try to make films in the 1980-1990s formula, and fail spectacularly, painting a negative image about the viewers. The consumers need to be presented with fresh, novel ideas, not worn-out musicals. Innovation is the name of any game and it is hardly found in our film industry,” the young producer expresses his frustration.
Branding is a strong theme in an industry and the Bangladeshi film industry lacks it in the global market, Bijon Imtiaz thinks.
“Look at South Korean film industry, hardly 20 years ago they were only at a regional level. Now, a South Korean film has ten times the brand value of a Bangladeshi one, and it affects the financiers.”
In our country, there persists a notion that films create less brand value for the desi companies, he points out the problem.
“However, films do export a brand image, just like Hollywood has created a market for American companies. Visionary businessmen need to come forward to invest big money in the industry, and in turn, we will create a brand value for Bangladeshi products.”
Terms like ‘art films,’ ‘commercial films’ are prevalent in the domestic industry, creating two separate lines effectively. In Bijon Imtiaz’s opinion, the terms only serve the purpose of upholding the current hegemony.
Most often the filmmakers forget the central theme of the business – there is always an audience to whom a film can cater. Not every film can be made to entertain every type of audience.
“So, when I make a film like Moving Bangladesh, I have a target audience. When films like Mission Extreme are made, the makers have a target audience as well. Everyone wants to make a profit from the film, and this is why this type of division restricts the choice of people.”
“Not everybody likes biryani, some like bhaat with bhorta too. It is the job of the producer, not the director, to find out who likes biryani, and who likes bhaat.”
Given the current state of the industry, the perpetual pessimism about the future is not surprising. However, Bijon Imtiaz is confident as more and more talented Bangladeshi filmmakers are entering the market and creating splashes in the global arena.
“Right now, young blood is being infused into the industry, blood with proficiency in their craft and art. Films like Rehana Mariam Noor or No Land’s Man are expanding our horizon, and soon we will leave our mark in the world.”
The day is not far, Bijon believes, when getting into Cannes will not be news anymore, as it will be the norm for our films to shine at these festivals.
“The change will come, but it will not come tomorrow. Every no is a future yes, and so, in the long run, our films will garner international recognition.”
It was hard not to feel a gush of optimism after hearing such promising words from a rising producer. Men like Bijon Imtiaz are the trailblazers of a new era of the Bangladeshi film industry.
shadique.mahbub.islam@gmail.com