Bollywood returns to Bangladesh after 39 years1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFilms like Sholay, DDLJ, Dhoom:2, Wanted and 3 Idiots will be screened in theatres
It’s official. After being exiled for 39 long years, Indian films are all set to release in Bangladesh. It’s no secret that Bollywood films are immensely popular across the border in Pakistan and Nepal, and Tamil films in Sri Lanka.
However, thanks to protectionist measures by the Bangladesh government against films by their more prolific and richer neighbours, Indian films have long been banned there. The rationale behind the ban that came into effect in 1972 after India won independence for them from Pakistan was to protect the fledgling Bangladeshi film industry.
In theory, it was not a bad idea. Pakistan had banned Indian films for the same reason and its industry flourished for a while but soon gave up the ghost. Rather than lose money to black marketers who made millions from pirated films, Pakistan decided to embrace fate (and make cash legally) and allow the release of Indian films there.
