Hope to bring in Cinematograph Act 2023 by August, says Anurag Thakur

Minister Anurag Thakur exuded hope that Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill 2023, which addresses the concerns on film piracy, will get a safe passage in both the Houses of Parliament by this August end

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday exuded hope that the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill 2023, which addresses the concerns on film piracy, will get a safe passage in both the Houses of Parliament by this August end.

The amended Bill addresses the concerns and demands raised by the film industry and stakeholders, and the Centre has come up with the legislation as per the best international practices, he said.

"I am sure you will be very, very happy that it will keep a check on the piracy, which is a huge problem globally and locally as well. Media and entertainment sector alone suffers USD 2.3 billion losses every year," Thakur said while speaking at the valedictory of the CII Dakshin South India Media and Entertainment summit here.

He said the Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha and sent to the standing committee for recommendation. "By end of August, I am sure we will have the new Cinematograph Act, 2023, when the Bill will be passed by both Houses of the Parliament in the upcoming session," the Union minister said.

On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet approved the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill seeking to introduce more categories for film certification and also enforce penal provision to prevent film piracy.

Actress Suhasini Maniratnam received the 'Icon of the Decade' award on behalf of top actor Chiranjeevi from the minister on the occasion while the Youth Icon award was presented to actor-producer Dhanush.

"I never though that I would come this far and also win the Youth Icon award at the age of 40. Its just a reminder that there's always so much to dream, achieve and conquer," Dhanush, who is currently working on film 'Captain Miller' said.

Thakur said the Central government was providing complete support to the film industry through a series of steps including merger of various film bodies into National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) for better convergence and resource utilisation or the recent proposal for the Cinematography Act 2023.

"These are significant steps in that direction. Films are the soft power of our country which have the capacity to cut across borders and languages. Being the largest film-making country, we have a lot to offer to the world and showcase our age-old culture and literature," Thakur said.

The recent success of regional cinema has shown that content from each part of India could capture global attention and the government is committed to provide all the support to the film industry and ensure that it grows by leaps and bounds, he said.

The central minister called upon the film industry to churn out more good films for India and the world. "Year after year, Indian film industry produces the highest number of films in the world. Today, it is getting global recognition for its groundbreaking productions, technical skills and capabilities," Thakur added.

Earlier, the Minister, who holds the Youth Affairs and Sports portfolio, addressing the third convocation at the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) in Sriperumbudur near here emphasised that good education is the foundation of success and knowledge is power.

He encouraged the youth to continue learning throughout their life, as they are the drivers of the country.

Prof Sibnath Deb, Director of RGNIYD, spoke. A total of 877 candidates received their degree certificates on the occasion.