Single Window clearance for film shoots in India soon: Tewari

A single window service for grant of clearances for film shooting in the country will become operational shortly, Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Manish Tewari said here today.
Speaking at 'Cinemascape 2013' conclave here, the minister observed that India, with its rich heritage and diverse geography, has a great potential as a destination for film shooting, but the current system which requires multiple clearances at various levels puts off the producers.
"Increasingly therefore, most Indian filmmakers have gravitated towards foreign destinations for outdoor shoots. Any lost opportunity is a revenue loss for the country," he said.
The Government, therefore, has now decided to address the issue by establishing a single window service for granting clearances, he said.

A committee on 'Promotion and Facilitation of Film Production in India' has been set up and the state governments have been asked to nominate the nodal officers for film clearance.
Standard Operating Procedures are being developed to accord clearances to domestic and foreign producers.
The Minister also stressed the need for a sound legal architecture for promoting cinema as a form of creative expression.
Conceding that law and order is a state subject, he said, film certification falls in the Central domain, and "there is an urgent need to update laws relating to film certification and exhibition and I am happy to inform that the committee headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal has submitted its recommendation along with a model bill to replace the existing Cinematograph Act 1952.