Kolkata: Acclaimed film director Goutam Ghose today said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should ensure that a treaty is signed between India and Bangladesh for regular cultural exchanges.
"I would request her to talk to New Delhi and see that a treaty between the two countries is signed on this. There is a huge market waiting for Bengali cinema," Ghose said at a programme organised by Calcutta Chamber of Commerce here.
He pointed out that Bengali film industry is by and large secular with no religious divide among Hindus, who live in West Bengal, and Bengali Muslims who live in Bangladesh.
"The cultural borders between India and Bangladesh should be opened. We cannot open the political borders but we can do it culturally," said the winner of 16 National Film awards.
His last film 'Moner Manush', based on the life of sufi poet Fakir Lalan Shah, had opened to 130 theatres, which is a record for Bengali films.
"This was possible as it was released both in India and Bangladesh," said the director known for works like 'Dakhal', 'Kaalbela' 'Paar', 'Yatra' and 'Antarjali Jatra' (1987).
To market Prosenjit-starrer 'Moner Manush' released last year, Ghose said the producers met those into the movie piracy business in both India and Bangladesh and convinced them not to make pirated CDs for six months after the film's release.
"We told them that for this, we will give them a reward and they assured us of their support in return. As a result, we could control piracy for six months while other films were available even on the internet even before two weeks of release," he said.
The movie had struck an instant chord with the audience and won the Best Feature Film on National Integration Award at the 58th National Film Awards.
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