The Hindu : Front Page : Movies lack values: Rosaiah

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 15, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Movies lack values: Rosaiah

Staff Reporter

Chief Minister inaugurates 16th International Children’s Film Festival

- Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

ENTERTAINMENT BEGINS: Chief Minister K. Rosaiah flanked by Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni and Chairperson of Children’s Film Society of India Nandita Das at the festival’s inaugural function in Hyderabad on Saturday.

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Rosaiah urged the Central government to chip in with financial assistance either in the form of subsidy or otherwise, to lift the drooping spirits of children’s cinema of the country.

Only generous incentives by the State and Central governments will make the projects viable for the producers, he said.

“The purpose of a children’s film is to ignite and inspire the young mind, but they are largely message-oriented now, and it is difficult to produce such films on a commercial basis because they promise no returns,” he said, after inaugurating the 16th International Children’s Film Festival on Saturday.

Lamenting the absence of values in present day movies, he requested the film fraternity to make cinema more meaningful. The Chief Minister thanked the Chairperson of the Children’s Film Society of India, Nandita Das, for choosing Hyderabad as venue and wished the festival all success.

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni in her speech showered praise on Ms. Das for the meticulous arrangements.

“I must congratulate Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for choosing Ms. Das as the Chairperson of the CFSI,” she said in her brief message. Preceded by a plethora of cultural programmes, the addresses by the VIPs were very short.

Noted film producer-director Dasari Narayana Rao recalled the State government’s promise of building a children’s film festival complex which was yet to be fulfilled. In a rueful note, he said Telugu language was being ignored on the national fora despite the fact that it was a Telugu producer K.S. Prakasa Rao, who pioneered children’s films in India, 61 years ago.

Procedural changes

“Most of the time we are humiliated. We are pushed to the second grade in terms of award nomination and recognition,” he complained. He strongly recommended shifting of the CFSI office to Hyderabad. While congratulating Ms. Das, he suggested a few procedural changes in accepting the applications.

Noted film lyricist-director Gulzar urged Ms. Das to bring to light a “treasure” of 200 to 300 films lying with CFSI.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page