Catch 22: Telugu films get no subsidy

hyderabad: despite the promises made, the state government has not granted subsidy to any children's film from the state. even those films, made in telugu, which were screened at the international children's film festival at cairo have not been given subsidy by the government leave alone other films, film director akkineni kutumba rao told the times of india on monday.kutumba rao said his two telugu films bhadram koduku and paathanagaramlo pashumadu had won national awards and were screened at cairo, but the subsidy for film production has not been granted by the government till date. though the government had promised to increase the subsidy for children's films, he said the rules have been framed in such a way that no one got the grant. explaining the rules, he said a director or producer had to provide 10 prints for securing the subsidy. in case the subsidy did not come by, the producers would stand to lose a minimum of rs six lakh invested on the prints, he said. if the government is willing to pay rs 30 lakh as subsidy grant towards film production, i am willing to give up royalty for a film, he said adding that the government could then make prints, screen at various venues and take the profits. the government gives incentives to big film producers but not to small alternative production,'' said scriptwriter volga. she said they had been facing many problems since the last 10 years for the production and screening of a children's film in telugu.