Govt working on model theatre policy to arrest decline in cinemas

The government is working on a model theatre policy in a bid to arrest the decline in the number of movie halls, Apurva Chandra, union secretary, Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry, told Business Standard. The model theatre policy will also include a single-window clearance for cinemas, he said.

Chandra said states, such as Karnataka, are already on board, as far as the model theatre policy is concerned. Five cinemas were recently set up in the state with the help of a letter of support provided by the I&B Ministry.

“In the past few years, the number of theatres has declined from 12,000 to 8,000 in India. The Covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this trend. There is a need to boost the number of cinemas, so that people can continue to enjoy watching films in theatres,” he said.

Chandra also said that the ministry had merged various film units under the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in Mumbai. This will be the nodal agency for all cinema and film-related activities of the government.

"With this, we want to revamp the Film Facilitation Office. We are going to hand this over to Invest India, the main investment arm created by the government, to attract industry. We will reach out to foreign filmmakers to come to India," Chandra said.

The government will also work with states to facilitate and promote film shootings in India, he said.

“Recently at the Cannes Film Festival in June, we announced the Incentive Scheme for Audio-Visual Co-production and Incentive Scheme for Shooting of Foreign Films in India. With incentives given by states too, it becomes a viable and attractive package for filmmakers," he said.

Chandra also said that Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021, would be tabled in the Winter session. The amended Bill, he said, has strong provisions to tackle piracy and factors in an efficient process of certifying films. 

However, concerns in the film industry remain regarding the threat to the autonomy of filmmakers and the Central Board of Film Certification. Chandra said he had fruitful meetings with the film industry in recent days to address their concerns on the matter.

The ministry has also proposed a National Centre of Excellence for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC), Chandra said, which will be set up in collaboration with the private sector.

“We have taken the in-principle decision to set up the AVGC Centre of Excellence in collaboration with the private sector. We are proposing a 48 per cent stake for the Ministry of I&B, 26 per cent for FICCI, and 26 per cent for CII. It is private industry and not the government that will lead the AVGC transformation in India. It is the next revolution in media and entertainment," he said.