Kolkata:
Tollywood
has been increasingly embracing the trend of renowned
directors
and celebrated
actors
officially
presenting films
of their contemporaries. The latest luminary to join this illustrious bandwagon is the versatile actor
Anirban Bhattacharya
, who is presenting Abhinandan Banerjee's critically acclaimed and KIFF-awarded film, 'Manikbabur Megh' (MM) starring Chandan Sen.
This tradition was perhaps pioneered in Tollywood by filmmaker Srijit Mukherji, who presented Pradipta Bhattacharyya's thought-provoking 'Bakita Byaktigato (BB)' in 2013, followed by director Suman Ghosh presenting Aditya Vikram Sengupta's Venice-awarded 'Asha Jaor Majhe (AJM)' the subsequent year. In 2022, Prosenjit Chatterjee had endorsed Prasun Chatterjee's 'Dostojee'. This burgeoning trend of established luminaries showing support raises the pertinent question: Is it purely an altruistic effort in magnanimity or a strategic brand-building exercise by so-called commercial stars and directors to align themselves with good cinema?
The fundamental distinction between brand ambassadors and film presenters in Bengal lies in the absence of any financial transactions in the latter scenario. It is essentially a benevolent gesture to inspire viewers to experience the theatrical release. Beyond the affinity for the film, the presenter's interpersonal relationships with its director/producer or the influence the latter wield in the industry significantly contributes to determining which movie secures a presenter's endorsement. Bauddhayan Mukherji had enlisted Imtiaz Ali to present his 'Teenkahon' in 2015 "to garner more attention during the time of release". "Imtiaz had adored the film. It facilitated our approach to him," the director remarked.
Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s ‘Asha Jaoar Majhe’ had won the Best Debut Director award at the Venice Days of the Venice Film Festival. Director Suman Ghosh publicly praised the film on all platforms and became its presenter in 2014. “He championed the film because he loved the film and wanted to help us put it out there for people to watch. He also gave money to do marketing and bear release costs. That helped us,” the director said. The mutual respect was always there. A camaraderie developed and this year, Aditya Vikram edited Suman’s forthcoming ‘Puraton’.
Prasun has no qualms over admitting that ‘Dostojee’ secured a huge reach because of Prosenjit’s benevolence. “My film’s festival run had created a brand value in a niche circuit. His involvement helped to take it to the wider market in 2022. He even did hall visits and got Amitabh Bachchan to watch the film,” the director said.
At the other end of the spectrum is Pradipta who insists that the decision to secure Srijit as a presenter for his BB was made by the producer. "Producers might believe that the presence of a prominent personality will aid in attracting audiences. I had apprehensions regarding my film. We had toiled hard to create the film from the ground up, and we were reluctant to have someone present it without any organic connection to it. In retrospect, I don't believe having a presenter benefited BB in any way," the director stated.
However, Pradipta is not opposed to having someone as a presenter if they are involved from the film's conception. "The involvement can also come later, such as assisting with distribution, submitting it to festivals, or pitching it to OTT platforms. If a Bengali film can ever secure a presenter like Martin Scorsese or Bela Tarr, it will undoubtedly boost a film's prospects. If not, it won't. On the contrary, if a film is truly exceptional, it is the presenter's brand image that will reap the benefits," Pradipta said.
Anirban Bhattacharya with Chandan Sen who plays the protagonist of 'Manikbabur Megh'
In 2024, Bauddhayan, the co-producer of 'MM', resolved to collaborate with Anirban to reinvigorate the 2021 movie for the discerning audience of 2024. "The film garnered the Netpac award at KIFF in 2022 and also graced numerous international festivals. I required an innovative approach to generate renewed enthusiasm and pique the interest of the audience. Anirban’s 'Tomar Aamar Golpo' adeptly accomplished this objective, successfully capturing the attention of cinephiles and directing their focus towards this remarkable film," Bauddhayan stated.
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