D-Towners meet CM Vijay Rupani,Dhollywood set for a leap forward

After a solid performance at the Box Office (BO) in 2018, the Gujarati film industry is all set to scale newer heights in 2019. And the year seems to have begun on just the kind of positive note that the film industry was looking for. A week earlier, the state government announced a revised subsidy policy that the industry felt was well-etched out, user-friendly and pro-development, a policy that will encourage filmmakers to make good films and the producers to invest more without fearing financial loss. And to express their gratitude (post the revised subsidy policy) and discuss the future of the industry, members of the Gujarati film fraternity met CM Vijay Rupani on Friday, which turned out to be the beginning of a whole new era for Dhollywood.
The meeting, which was attended by 125 members of the Gujarati film industry proved instrumental for the industry as Vijay Rupani talked about extending support for a more vibrant and robust Gujarat film industry and also suggested future plans that will result in fabulous growth. This meeting saw the presence of veteran actors Naresh Kanodia and Hiten Kumar along with prominent faces of the industry like Hitu Kanodia, Malhar Thakar, Kinjal Rajpriya, Bhakti Kubavat, Yash Soni, Vaishal Shah, Saandeep Patel, Vidhi Parikh, Mitra Gadhvi, Hemang Dave, Monal Gajjar and Parth Bharat Thakkar.
Talking about the meeting, Hitu Kanodia says, “After the government revised the subsidy policy, it was our responsibility to thank the government for providing such a well developed policy. So we organised this meet. But more than that, the meeting was all about having a dialogue between the state government and the industry members to shape up the future of Dhollywood which is now going through its golden phase.” Hitu also feels that the revised subsidy policy is sure to benefit the industry in a big way and that the industry will now be in a position to produce some path-breaking cinema.
A FILM CITY AND A FILM SCHOOL WILL BE BENEFICIAL
Taking a step forward, the CM also suggested that the state government will lend its support to develop a film city and a film school in Gujarat to push the industry’s growth. Actor Bhakti Kubavat shares, “The CM talked about how coming up with a film school and having our own film city will help the industry grow and bring more viewers for Gujarati films.”
Taking a cue from how other regional film industries have grown and enjoy a loyal audience, Dhollywood too seems to be entering a phase of creating cinema that will attract huge audience. And the new subsidy policy seems to be just the kind of push the industry needed. “We are really happy with the new policy as it provides big returns to both big and small budget films,” says Malhar Thakar, who was present at the meet.
REVISED SUBSIDY POLICY WILL BOOST GROWTH
The revised policy provides some big takeaways for the producers and filmmakers. While three more categories — A+, E and F have been added, the maximum subsidy to be gained has been increased to `75 lakh from `50 lakh previously. Also, some additional criteria have been included to score points that determine the grade. The number of tickets sold which would help in gaining points for subsidy has been reduced to 2,500 from earlier 10,000. This has been hailed as the biggest and most important change. Adds Malhar, “The whole focus now will be on making content-driven films with high production quality as the returns are good. As an actor and a producer, I feel more reassured that even if I stretch my financial limit to make a good film, I will be rewarded well under the revised
policy. This gives me more confidence to take the road less-travelled. And that’s the popular emotion right now in the industry.”
THE JOURNEY AHEAD LOOKS EXCITING
Actor Monal Gajjar who was also present for the meet and greet shares, “We felt at home with the way we all were treated by the team and the CM himself.” Gajjar adds, “He has some big plans for the industry and want us to contribute in the plan by our feedback about the growth of the industry.” As a growing industry, Dhollywood has reinvented itself time and again as the filmmakers and actors are pushing their boundaries in exploring newer narratives. With this new, improved subsidy policy, the industry seems to be raring to go. Says musician Parth Bharat Thakkar, “Gujarati film industry is one of the fastest growing regional entertainment industries. We have been looking for a chance to grow and this new policy has provided just that. I am hopeful that there are only better days ahead.”
With renewed audience interest, strong subsidy policy and an upbeat mood, Dhollywood is all set for an exciting journey ahead.
(With inputs from Abhimanyu.Mishra@timesgroup.com)



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