Haryana to have its own film policy

Haryana will have its own film policy to make the country and the world aware of its traditional art and culture through movies, an official said on Monday.

A meeting of the commission, headed by Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, V.S. Kundu, and having Bollywood film maker and actor Satish Kaushik as its co-chairman, was held to discuss and prepare detailed draft of the policy.

Others present were the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, the media advisor to the Chief Minister, a representative from the Finance Department, Director of the Information and Public Relations Department and director of Hindi movie "Pagdi- The honour", which is based on a "honour killing" incident.

Kaushik said that Haryana needs its own film policy to encourage and support Haryanvi culture and language like other regional languages including Odia, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Punjabi and others are having.

In the absence of a film policy, Bollywood believes that Haryana is a east territory of Punjab, he said, noting Bollywood actors like Salman Khan and Aamir Khan have been speaking Haryanvi language in their movies "Sultan" and the upcoming "Dangal" respectively.

Haryana has strong regional culture and heritage which can be projected in the country and abroad with the help of cinema, and thus can help to increase tourism, provide employment and help to build a strong social structure.

Kaushik also said that state government must think of organising national and international film festivals in the state.

Kundu noted that Haryana has wonderful shooting sites in the state as Bhiwani-Mahendergarh area which is desert-like, Morni (in Panchkula) with its mountains, Yamunanagar with its lakes and rivers and Gurugram for a modern, developed city.

This is the first time that Haryana has planned its own film policy.

--IANS

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