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BJP manifesto promises a nice time to 'good' movie-makers

In an effort to check the negative impact of the 'underworld financial influence' on Indian cinema, the Bharatiya Janata Party would amend existing laws to allow movie-makers to raise resources from financial institutions.

The promise comes in the BJP's election manifesto, released on Tuesday by party president L K Advani, himself a notable Hindi film buff.

If elected to power, the manifesto says, the BJP will provide a 'green-channel' clearance for the automatic certification of movies that do not have 'explicit scenes of violence and sex'.

Producers of such movies would not have to wait in queue for censor board clearance. Deterrent punishment will be meted out to any movie-maker or theatre-owner who abuses this facility, the BJP warned.

The manifesto promises to exempt quality movies from entertainment tax. Such movies would be certified 'Q'. Theatres would be set up in all district headquarters and large population centres for screening art and popular movies.

This, the manifesto explains, was necessary due to the negative impact which 'bad' movies were causing on the society, especially on impressionable young minds. Sex and violence was beginning to gnaw at the moorings of the cultural ethos.

The party would reserve 50 per cent of the places on the censor board for women, and create a special fund for promoting regional cinema.

The BJP, Advani said, would also introduce legislation to ensure minimum wages and retirement benefits for movies artistes and crew.

UNI

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