MUMBAI: A delegation of Hindi film producers and production houses met cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar on Monday, to seek subsidies and concessions for film shoots in Mumbai and Maharashtra. They also urged the minister to introduce policy reforms that would facilitate ease of shooting in Mumbai and Maharashtra.
“States like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have film policies that offer subsidies to Hindi films, which provides an advantage for shooting there. If the state government can consider something similar, it will be a game changer for us to shoot in Maharashtra,” said Nishit Verma, CEO, People Media Factory, who was present at Monday’s meeting.
“A three-member expert committee will be formed to study policies and incentives for the film industry. The committee will review subsidy and support models offered by other states and international film destinations, and submit its report within three months,” said Shelar, adding that a new film production facility would be developed on 100 acres near Malad.
The meeting, at the state government’s Sahyadri Guest House, was attended by Swati Mhase Patil, managing director of Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, also known as Film City; Shibasish Sarkar, president, Producers’ Guild of India; Uday Singh, managing director, Motion Picture Association; and representatives of some of the industry’s biggest production houses.
The producers also pointed out that the Maharashtra government offers subsidies to produce Marathi films and demanded that Hindi films receive the same support. They also wanted the state develop a film city like Ramoji Film City near Hyderabad.
Shelar said, “To make film shooting permissions easier, the government has developed a single window clearance system and is working to make all approvals available online. The government is working on setting up new film cities in Nagpur and Nashik, and to modernise ND Studio with government support. Since previous tenders for film city projects did not receive the expected response, the government is considering a hybrid model with private participation.”
Shelar also said plans are afoot to develop film production facilities on over 100 acres of land in Malad west, received from the central government, and connect it to the coastal road and sea link infrastructure.
Henal Mehta, who heads the BJP’s film cell, said, “Minister Ashish Shelar assured them (producers) that the government will look into their demands and discuss them before making a final policy decision to encourage the film industry in Maharashtra.”
Aashish Singh, CEO of Red Chillies, expressed the need for an online portal that would provide shooting locations in Maharashtra. “I have gone to many countries to shoot and all the shooting locations are available on websites. If we can have a similar provision where we can see all of Maharashtra’s locations in one place, it will be helpful when deciding on shooting for film projects,” said Singh.
