NEW DELHI: The Centre is preparing a series of initiatives, including regulatory reforms, to boost the country’s film and entertainment sector.
Speaking at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi on Tuesday, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Government would soon introduce model state cinema regulations to streamline outdated rules and bring uniformity to approvals related to filmmaking.
“We have taken up one very important reform: model state cinema regulation rules. Every state has its own rules. Can we harmonise them, can we simplify them? Just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed 1,500 archaic laws, in the same way, a process has started to bring model state cinema rules related to permissions for movies and film production,” said Vaishnaw.
The minister also revealed plans to create a “live concert economy” supported by policy mechanisms and simplified approvals.
“For today’s middle classes, for the young generation, we have to make a big programme of live concert economy. Proper policy support will be there, uniform guidelines will be there, easy permissions will be there, and that will create another big wave in the ocean of the creator economy,” the minister stated.
The move echoes Modi’s remarks earlier this year, following the success of Coldplay concerts in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, where he emphasised India’s potential in the global concert economy.
Vaishnaw further said that under the Government’s Make in India push, efforts were underway to encourage local manufacturing of film production equipment, including high-end cameras.
“We are trying to start a new programme. All the equipment used in the film industry, like big cameras and many other types of equipment, have to be made in India,” he said.
The awards ceremony saw President Droupadi Murmu confer over 60 honours across film and non-film categories, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, presented to Malayalam superstar Mohanlal. Among the recipients were Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, and Vikrant Massey.
Addressing the gathering, Murmu said cinema plays a crucial role in making citizens more sensitive.
“It cannot be emphasised enough that cinema is not merely an industry; it is also a powerful medium to awaken society and the nation, and to make citizens more sensitive. Popularity may be a good thing for a film, but serving the public interest, especially the interest of the younger generation, is an even greater virtue,” she said.
