Bihar deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said that his state was waiting to welcome film producers with open arms to shoot their films in the state. A single-window clearance for shootings will reduce the troubles faced by producers to get permissions to shoot on locations in Bihar, he explained. All the permissions can be obtained online itself. What’s more, the state government will give subsidy to producers who shoot their films in the state, added Sinha. He was speaking at a day-long conclave held at The Taj in Patna on 18th October.
While many states have capped the subsidy amount at Rs. 2.50 crore per film, the Bihar government will offer subsidy of up to Rs. 4 crore. Besides the monetary assistance, the state is offering other concessions and facilities to producers desirous of shooting in the state. Those films which are shot more than 75% in Bihar would be eligible for more concessions, it was explained. The deputy chief minister added that it was his dream to make Bihar a preferred shooting destination in times to come.
The Bihar film policy was spelt out in detail at the conclave which was organised by the art, culture and youth department of the Bihar State Film Development & Finance Corporation. It was attended, among others, by Bhojpuri film actors Ravi Kishan, Manoj Tiwari, Kunal Singh, Pankaj Jha, Akshara Singh, Akhilendra Mishra, Kranti Prakash Jha and Manoj Singh Tiger, and filmmaker Avinash Das. IMPPA president Abhay Sinha was also present. Development commissioner of Bihar, Chaitanya Prasad, said that actors who worked in films made in languages spoken in Bihar would be entitled to get employment. Besides Vijay Kumar Sinha and Chaitanya Prasad, other government officials like secretary of art and culture department, Dayanidhan Pandey, and general manager of Bihar State Film Development & Finance Corporation, Rahul Kumar, also attended the conclave.
Manoj Tiwari said, he was keen to start a production office in Bihar. If the state government were ready to invest in a film city in Patna, he added, he would forthwith start a studio too. According to the actor-MP, shooting activity would ensure employment to the local people and would give a fillip to the hotel, transport and allied industries. Star-MP Ravi Kishan explained that Bihar boasted of beautiful locations. He added that after the announcement of its film policy by the Uttar Pradesh government, the number of film shootings being held in Gorakhpur (in U.P.) alone had gone up phenomenally. He explained that film actors shooting in U.P. were being provided terrific security.
Actor Kunal Singh rued the fact that many cinemas in the state were in pitiable condition. He felt, the government should also announce concessions to encourage more cinemas in the state and for the upgradation and renovation of cinemas. Abhay Sinha appealed to the government for a regional office of the Central Board of Film Certification in Bihar.