Liberalisation to the fore: Ravi Prasad

CANNES: Union Minister of State with Independent Charge of Information and Broadcasting Ravi Shankar Prasad has announced at Cannes an era of far greater liberalisation for filmmaking in India by foreign producers. Prasad said that scripts submitted for approval would be cleared in three weeks or, in case of delays beyond then, be deemed cleared. The policy has been approved with immediate effect, he said at a gathering attended by I&B Secretary Pavan Chopra and Joint Secretary Anjali Chibb Duggal.Just the rules remain to be framed, added Prasad. When told that bureaucratic hurdles over a film on Mother Teresa were forcing the filmmakers to shoot in a country offering India-type locations, Prasad disclosed that his ministry had no record of having been reached on that film. Let the producers meet me. I'll do everything possible to facilitate the project, he said. He believed that India could and should become a more appealing place to shoot films, and the government should be the last to create difficulties. Visa procedures would now be simplified and speeded up. His ministry, along with the Home Ministry, was putting finishing touches to the relevant rules. Two years ago, India's presence at Cannes was a small affair with a government stall. This year, the India Pavilion here has Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) taking a 130-square-metre space, which it has placed at the disposal of marketers of Indian films and of sponsors in related industries. I hope my presence in Cannes will be an assurance of our government's seriousness in building industry and professional links with the world in this crucial area said Prasad. He felt that film festivals in India had to be institutionalised. The Delhi festival may go to Goa. We want to call it the India International Film Festival. It will be a partnership of the centre, the Goa government and private sector.