Like ‘The Kashmir Files’, promote regional movies too: Filmmakers

Guwahati: Filmmakers in Assam questioned the Assam State Film (Finance and Development) Corporation (ASFFDC) for allegedly not taking any bold initiative to promote regional films from the state like it has done for the special screening of Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’ in Nalbari district.The corporation has arranged a special screening of the film in cooperation with the Nalbari district administration and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) from March 24 to March 31 at the Natya Mandir. This has triggered reactions and resentments in the film industry in Assam.National award-winning filmmaker Utpal Borpujari said, “ASFFDC’s first and foremost duty is to promote regional films. We have no issue with the screening of the film. But regional films should also be promoted for the growth of the industry.”He added, “People do not go to the cinemas to watch Assamese films. The halls are on the verge of shut-down after two years of the pandemic. At this time, the corporation could have taken similar steps to help the industry to survive.”Independent filmmaker

Kripal Baruah

, director of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), and award-winning film director, ‘Bridge’, said “the corporation’s move to screen a particular film was unfortunate.”“The corporation has produced several films on its own. We cannot remember the corporation promoting any film from the region or arranging any screening anywhere,” he said. Chairperson of the corporation, Simanta Shekhar, said the corporation organized the screening of ‘The Kashmir Files’ in accordance with the state film policy. “The corporation has no financial involvement in screening the film. It has just helped the organizers on the request of the MLA,

Jayanta Malla Baruah

, by screening the film. Moreover, the state film policy allows the corporation to increase its functions by taking up the distribution of government-produced films and other films produced by other producers wherever necessary,” he added.Claiming that the corporation has been continuously making an effort to promote Assamese films, he informed that ‘Bandhon’ and Rima Das’s ‘Village Rockstars’ were screened at the ongoing Dubai Expo 2020 on March 11 while

Rajiv Borthakur

’s ‘Porichoy’ and Alfred Haque’s ‘Ekalavya’ were screened at the IIT-Guwahati’s annual cultural festival Alcheringa on March 14.
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