Sharmila Tagore, Raakhee Draw Bengali Viewers In With Family Films

West Bengal's theatrical business has received a boost lately after going back to doing what it does best: family films.

- Lata Jha

West Bengal's theatrical business has received a boost lately after going back to doing what it does best: family films. This is while films in most other languages have put up a mixed box office show over the past few months, ranging from inconsistent (Tamil, Telugu) to disastrous (Hindi).

Even though cinemas in the state were dominated by Bollywood over the past few years, the recent success of films featuring yesteryear stars such as Sharmila Tagore (Puratawn), Raakhee Gulzar (Aamar Boss), and Moushumi Chatterjee (Aari) have helped the local industry reclaim some of its past glory. These movies emerged as hits when barely anything was working in theatres across languages, thanks to their appeal among family audiences.