Ease of doing biz: Khattar launches state's first film policy
Gurugram: Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar visited two of his states' richest cities Gurugram and Faridabad on a day when his government officially completed four years in governing Haryana. The most anticipated of all events was the launch of state's first film policy. The project that is being designed by artist Satish Kaushik aims to promote Haryanavi talent in cinema and also develop the business prospects of cinema in the state.
The policy will provide security for filmmaking, promote key shooting points, curb illegal display & piracy of movies, organize state movie awards among other incentives. There were also discussions on how Gurugram can benefit from the investment in creative projects.
Owing to its image of a corporate city, Gurugram has always been a preferred spot for the filmmakers. Now with this policy not only will the shooting permits be made easier but there are also plans to hold a film festival in Gurugram every year. Sources indicate that the Haryana government wants to make Gurugram an important hub of investment in terms of films and entertainment. There are plans that a film school may also be open on the outskirts of Gurugram.
There are also talks with other prominent Haryanavi filmmakers and artists like Subhash Ghai and Randeep Hooda to find avenues for investment in the state. In the past, not only various Bollywood films like Peepli Live (2010), Aurangzeb (2012), Bewakoofiyan (2014) have been shot in Gurugram but the city's theme has also played important role in forming the story. Besides Hindi films, there have also been various regional films, and even international projects that have been shot in the Millennium City.
Besides Gurugram, now other major places on the outskirts of the city like Pataudi, Farrukhnagar, Nuh that also have a historical significance will be promoted by the government to the filmmakers. Even as the need was felt to enhance the role of Gurugram as one of the major avenues for investment in the entertainment sector, the plan never kicked off. In the Pravasi Haryanvi Divas that was celebrated in Gurugram in 2017, various proposals were discussed of how Gurugram can lead the way for the state towards making a mark in films and entertainment.
Exploring beyond the scope of development, Chief Minister focussed on new avenues of progress and focussed on the growth of sports and filmmaking. He began his visit to South Haryana by first inspecting the works at Kundali -Manesar Palwal expressway. He then inaugurated cricket academy in Faridabad.
This is the first of its kind academy where training to the budding cricketers will be provided free of cost. After his brief visit to Faridabad, the chief minister spent his entire afternoon and evening in Gururgam. He first attended the summit on affordable housing where he announced various sops for the builders participating in building affordable homes. He stated that for developers who will undertake transit-oriented development, the licence will be provided in three months. He also said that for the investors in group housing projects, the window of participation will be open for two months.
