Maharashtra Government to help restart the entertainment industry

Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee - Secretary Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra on the 28th May 2020 organised a Zoom virtual meeting with all stake holders in the Entertainment Industry where the undersigned represented Indian Motion Pictures Producer's Association (IMPPA). The Producer Guild of India (PGI) was represented by Shri Apoorva Mehta and Smt. Madhu Bhojwani. Western India Film Producer's Association (WIFPA) was represented by Shri Sangram Shirke and Shri Dharam Mehra. Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal (MCM) was represented by its President Shri Meghraj Bhosale. Federation of Western India Cine Employess (FWICE) was represented by Shri Ashoke Pandit - Chief Advisor, Shri B N Tiwari - President & Shri Ashok Dubey - Hon Gen Secretary. Shri Aadesh Bandekar was also an integral part of the meeting.

The meeting enabled all the stake holders of the Media and Entertainment Industry to discuss and decide upon the ways and means to work out a SOP to start the Entertainment Industry with the support and co-operation of Maharashtra Government authorities. The meeting was very encouraging and there were lot of beneficial conclusions pertaining to the future of the Entertainment Industry.

The following points were discussed in the meeting:

1. Post Production activities should immediately start in line with all the health, safety and security norms and guidelines issued by the Government.
2. A proper financial package to be worked out by the State Government to facilitate the Entertainment Industry.
3. State Government should call for all the Insurance companies to come up with new ideas for designing suitable policies for the members of the Entertainment Industry to cope with the COVID-19 disease.
4. Premises owned by the State Government should be given Free of Cost to the Producers and the Production houses for carrying out shoots along with a facility of Single Window Permission.
5. There should be No Rentals on the sets that are erected in the Film city which are lying unused due to the Lockdown and that after the lockdown is over the premises in the Film city should be provided to the Producers and the Production houses with very subsidized rates so as to cope with the losses incurred due to the lockdown. The subsidized rates shall be applicable till the city regains its normalcy.
6. Until the city regains normalcy, there should be regular intervention and interaction of the Government authorities in the functioning of the Media and Entertainment Industry.
7. The SOP's already submitted by all the stake holders of the Industry shall be reviewed by Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee (Chief Secretary Cultural Affairs) and presented to the State. He has assured that there have been serious discussions happening in the State Government pertaining to the resumption of works of the Media and Entertainment Industry.

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