‘Proposed Rajgir film city to help budding actors’

PATNA: The state art, culture and youth affairs department has expedited the proposed film city project at Rajgir in Nalanda district to provide a launchpad for budding actors from Bihar.

Principal secretary of the department Ravi Parmar said the proposal for work on the film city, which was conceptualized in 2015, is in its final stages. “The main purpose of the Film City is to attract big filmmakers to make films in Bihar. Also, it will be a platform for budding artists, who are unable to pave their way to Mumbai,” Parmar said.

He added, “The film city project is being executed utilizing an estimated outlay of Rs10.76 crore and construction work on fencing the 20-acre land is underway.”

Budding actors from the state welcomed the move and said the upcoming Film City will be a boon for thousands of artists.

Actor Pankaj Jha, who hails from Araria, said the lockdown has changed a lot of things in Bihar. “Proper promotion of the Film City will definitely change the mindset of artists, who struggle for success for years in Mumbai. Besides, it will create job opportunities for those, who returned to the state. Studios will be made and people will look at Bihar as a potential location for movie shooting,” he added.

Theatre artist Shivanshu Singh Satya said, “There’s hardly any scope for acting or filmmaking in Bihar. The state lacks infrastructure because of which, people are forced to go to other states.”

“The Lucknow Film City has now become a hub in itself with the availability of most shooting essentials. The same can happen in Bihar if the authorities prioritize and make the essentials available,” said Rajesh Gupta, a Mumbai-based director and producer, who also plays a big role in Bhojpuri entertainment industry.

He added that a Film City in Bihar will not just give job opportunities to the artists but will also save money of filmmakers. “Whenever we go to other states for shooting, we are required to pay for accommodation, food and extra wages. If a film city gets promoted in Bihar, the artists won’t go to other states for work and will stay at their homes, which will save our money,” Gupta said.