The West Bengal state government has sought a report on the number of Bengali films screened by multiplexes and single-screen cinemas for the last three financial years. The cinemas will have to send the reports for each fiscal year — 1st April, 2019 to 31st March, 2020, 2020-21, and 2021-22 — separately. A letter signed by the Additional Director of the Information and Cultural Affairs (I & CA) department has demanded the report in a prescribed format by April 30, 2022.
The I & CA department had in September 2018 directed single-screen cinemas and at least one screen of every multiplex in the state to conduct 120 prime time shows of Bengali films mandatorily throughout the year, with at least one show per day for a minimum of 120 days in total during the year. The order was effective throughout the state except the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) areas. An amendment to the West Bengal Cinemas (Regulation of Public Exhibitions) Rules, 1956 was made to encourage and promote Bengali films. But it had been noticed that Bengali films were not being screened, as mandated, by many single-screen cinemas and multiplexes.