Now, regional movies to carry Hindi subtitles or be dubbed

Hindi-speaking cinema lovers can now enjoy regional movies without any language barrier, thanks to presidential nod to a parliamentary panel recommendation that the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) either dub them or carry Hindi subtitles. The Committee of Parliament on Official Language has also recommended that filmmakers submit their script in Hindi to the NFDC and make it available to all concerned.

The NFDC facilitates line production services of shooting in India and animation services of overseas clients. It deals in film financing, production and distribution, and works under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

As of now, the corporation's sub-rules on submission of applications for feature films state that the applicants should submit six copies of their script in English and one in the language the movie is to be made.

However, subsequent to the recommendations getting the presidential nod, the NFDC needs to tweak in its sub-rules on film production. The recommendation only covers regional films produced by the NFDC. The panel had also recommended that the films being shown in festivals

organised by the NFDC be dubbed or have subtitles in Hindi so that "the viewers could be linked to Hindi through good quality films".

However, this recommendation wasn't accepted as the film dubbing unit at the NFDC is defunct, the order states. Senior officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Directorate of Film Festivals said they haven't received the orders till now.

"We have not received any order till now. We are waiting for the order. Whenever the order comes, we will work accordingly," said an official.