Increased subsidy good, but address other issues: Rajasthani artistes

To give a boost to the moribund Rajasthani cinema, the state government recently announced `5 lakh as subsidy for ‘U/A’ Rajasthani films and doubled the amount for ‘U’ rated films from `5 lakh to `10 lakh. JT spoke to actors and filmmakers from the state to understand if this will make any real difference to the current state of Rajasthani cinema.
Cinema halls don’t want to screen these films
Rahul Sood, who is an actor, producer and writer, says, “By increasing the subsidy for films with ‘U’ certificate, and also giving subsidy to U/A films, the state government has taken a good initiative.But there are issues other than subsidy which need immediate attention. The main problem is to screen Rajasthani films, as cinema halls don’t want to show regional films. The problem with the producer is that he invests money in making a film, and then he again invests in screening it, so that the film reaches the audience. This policy should also include blocking of cinemas for Rajasthani films, at least 56 shows per year, like in other states.”
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Getting a ‘U’ certificate is impossible
Arvind Kumar Vaghela, a popular Rajasthani actor, says, “Rajasthani cinema is dying a slow death and efforts being made to deal with the situation are welcomed. But this is not a big step. They have announced `10 lakh subsidy for films with a ‘U’ certificate, but the criteria of giving a ‘U’ certificate in Rajasthani films is too strict. Getting that in today’s times is next to impossible. It is given to films with no comedy, action or drama. Even if an actor shouts in any scene, the film will be given ‘U/A’ rating on the pretext of violence. To get a ‘U’ certificate, one can only think of making mythological films, which today’s audience would not like to watch.”
Which films will qualify for subsidy?
Mukesh Tak, who tried to add glamour to Rajasthani cinema with a few films in the past, is now working on a Rajasthani soap. He says, “Since `10 lakh is sanctioned for ‘U’ rated films, there should be a proper and standardized mechanism to provide the subsidy. Chances are that there will be a lot of fly-by-night operators after this announcement. So, there has to be some kind of checking to see which films qualify for it.” Actor Shravan Sagar says, “Everything starts with a small step, and this would surely provide an impetus to the regional film industry. If people associated with the local film industry will get work here, they won’t look for work in Mumbai. But there has to be some supervision, otherwise films made with a video camera at home will also demand subsidy.”
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Discouraging sensitive cinema
Filmmaker Gajendra Shrotriya, whose film Bhabhar was shown at various international film festivals, says, “The government is trying to do their bit by helping and promoting the local industry. But they are basically promoting ‘U’ certified films, as they have doubled the subsidy for them. What are they implying by that? They are discouraging the makers from making a film on sensitive and mature subjects since they will qualify for ‘U/A’ rating immediately. The government should also constitute a panel of people with cinematic sensibilities to select which films will be provided with the subsidy.”

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