Bengal govt to build lab for restoring, digitising films

The West Bengal government has sanctioned Rs 21 crore for setting up a world-class laboratory in the city for preserving and digitising films that form a part of the state's cultural identity, an official said.

A nine-storeyed laboratory will shortly come up in Tollygunge, where a major chunk of production houses and studios of the Bengali film industry are based, he said.

"The government has massive digitizations plans and the laboratory will be equipped with all modern facilities for the purpose. An e-tender has already been floated for purchase of technical equipment," he explained.

The initiative will go a long way in helping filmmakers in the future, the official said.

"The administration has also arranged for workshops to train people in handling reels and other equipment," he added.

Earlier this year, the state government had built a film vault at the Cinema Centenary Building in Tollygunge for storing films and documentaries by some of the auteurs of Bengal in temperature and humidity-controlled environment.