Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, in a meeting with actor Adil Hussain on July 2, said that he will take expeditious measures for adopting a film policy for Assam taking cue from the successful policies of other states.
Internationally acclaimed actor Adil Hussain called on chief minister Sonowal at Janata Bhawan on Monday and discussed ways to rejuvenate Assamese film industry. Adil Hussain was accompanied by film producer Shahnaab Alam, who is best known for his film Lunch Box.
During the discussion, both Hussain and Alam highlighted the challenges faced by the Assam film industry and the interventions required for overcoming the same. They said that while many from Assam are doing phenomenal work in the celluloid outside the state, the industry in the state is going through a rough phases due to lack of adequate infrastructure and patronage. Being sons of the soil, they offered to extend all support to uplift the present status of the film industry of the state.
Pitching for a film policy protecting the interests of the films of local language, the duo underlined examples of states like Maharashtra where film policy brought great dividends on promoting the Marathi films.
They said that film is the best promotional tool of a state and Assamese movies like Village Rockstars are drawing huge crowds over 80 countries worldwide. However, due to apathy of distributors and exhibitors, Assamese films fail to get enough screen time in the local cinema halls.
Calling for immediate government intervention in this regard, the duo offered to extend all support to convene a meeting with prominent exhibitors and distributors of the country to protect the interests of local cinema. They also suggested measures for quality control in films, which are entitled to get incentives under new tourism policy of the state government.
Appreciating their initiative, chief minister Sonowal assured to take expeditious measures for adopting a film policy for Assam taking cue from the successful policies of other states. He also conveyed his best wishes to Adil Hussain for his continued success in the film world.
