When could one be able to produce Angika Cinema?

The fact of contempt of Angika Language by Visual & Audible Media like Doordarshan and Aakashvani is no more hidden. If I speak of film making in Angika in to my knowledge, no such effort has been made yet toward it till date.[wzslider autoplay="true"]

In Bihar, Aakashvani Patna Centre has just celebrated its golden jubilee on 26 th Jan, 1997. There was a new hope in public of Bihar when on 26th Jan, 1947, the Home Minister and Information and Telecast Minister then, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, inaugurated this important centre. People thought that under the right of equality, all regional languages and regional cultures' programmes will get equal opportunity among the programs telecasted from this centre. But event after elapsing of 50 years, such equality has not been maintained. Rather, no such exercise was performed for doing the same.

Angika , the language of over 3 crore population of Bihar has not been placed under the programs aired from Patna centre. Not even the programs related to palanquin, farming and house keeping etc. are being aired in Angika . Whereas, Maithili, spoken by comparatively less no. of people has been given preferences for the aforesaid program. Alongwith it a program, “Bharti”, telecast by Patna centre itself is in the same language – Maithili. When the indifference with Angika language was brought to the knowledge of ministry, they just deliberated if by saying that programs from Aakashvani – Bhagalpur is being telecast in Angika . The fact here to be noted is that the programs from Aakashvani Darbhanga are being telecasted in Maithili only. Angika is not only spoken in its region, but the people speaking this language is scattered all over the state. Due to the weak transmitting capacity of Bhagalpur Aakashvani, the area covered by it is very less. It is difficult to guess the basis on which this indifferences towards Angika is being shown. It is very rare to see a program telecasted in Angika or Program related to Anga- region on Doordarshan. Angika related programme telecasts by Patna Doordarshan can be counted on fingers.

Till now there is nobody to accept the challenge of making a movie in Angika language. Although history of Indian Cinema is more than 100 years old and now film making has also emerged as an industry. Interestingly in Anga region there have been great list of actors.

Great liteurate P.N.Renu, Sharat Chandra, legend of the Hindi cinema, Ashok Kumar, and the gifted singer and actor Kishore Kumar are all integrally related to Anga region. Evergreen movie ‘Teesri Kasam' has been made with the Anga region's background. Even now many actors of Anga region other than Ashok Kumar are working in this industry. What could be the region that yet no movies made in Angika or even now no effort has been made in this direction, inspite of such a glorious history of this region?

Film making is a good example of pure business form of industry, full of risks. Lakhs and crores of money are required for making a movie. It's obvious that no producer will want to play a gamble of such a huge amount. It is a well known fact that the condition of film making in Bihar is not good. Despite craze of movies in people over here, the government has never shown any interest in this important industry which could have rather solved the problem of unemployment to a greater extent.

In states like Maharashtra and Karnataka for the screening of film, special facilities are provided. The subsidies are being provided in entertainment taxes. Artists are encouraged by giving different awards for cinemas. No such facilities are provided in Bihar for film industries. Even the condition of Bhojpuri film industry in Bihar is worst, instead of a huge audience crowd.

Angika is having the largest crowd in Bihar, only second to Bhojpuri. Anga region is also having a good no. of artists. Inspite of such a pathetic condition of film making in Bihar, if a producer takes risk of making the first ever Angika language film, it will be nothing else than the beginning of the golden era for the Angika language and Anga Culture.

(Kundan Amitabh ‘s Analysis on Possibility of Angika Film Production, Published in “Aaj” a Hindi Daily from Patna, dated 2 February, 1997. Originally in Angika language, titled as " कहिया देखै लॆ मिलतै अंगिका सिनेमा ?" )