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Akhilesh Yadav goes all out to woo Bollywood in Uttar Pradesh

As part of the plan, the state government will facilitate setting up of a Rs 400-crore film city in the state capital.

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In a major marketing gambit to virtually “sell” Uttar Pradesh as a favoured destination for Bollywood, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday unveiled major initiatives aimed at drawing film producers to UP, including two film cities, including one in Lucknow, to be established at a cost of Rs 650 crore.

“Those who were earlier afraid of coming to the state to make films, are now coming due to our new film policy,” he told reporters while outlining the proposed measures in this direction. “Film-makers from Bollywood are not our “mehmaan” (guests). They are our friends,” he remarked.

The move is being seen as an obvious attempt on his part to refurbish the state’s image, especially on the law and order front, in the run-up to the 2017 Assembly poll.

"Earlier, when people came from outside, others used to discourage them asking ‘where are you going’. Now, their own colleagues are saying that now that you have reached Uttar Pradesh, take us there as well," Akhilesh said.

The CM launched the new website of Film Bandhu, a body set up to execute the film policy, besides distributing subsidies to deserving film-makers who shoot in UP.

As part of the plan, the state government will facilitate setting up of a Rs 400-crore film city in the state capital. The proposed site of the project, to be developed in association with some Japanese firms, is likely to be the starting point of the Lucknow-Agra Expressway.

Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali and actress Divya Dutta, who is here for a film shooting, were present at the programme.

Principal Secretary (Information) Navneet Sehgal, who is also CEO, Uttar Pradesh Industrial Expressway Development Authority (UPEIDA), said the development of the film city will be another feather in the ambitious project of the country's longest greenfield expressway, dotted with five smart cities. 

“The chief minister is himself taking keen personal interest in the film city project and wants it to be completed at the earliest,” he added.

Under the new norms, the government would provide a grant of Rs 2 crore to a film producer, if more than 50% of the film is shot in the state. In the existing policy, a producer is paid Rs 1 crore if 75% of the film is shot in Uttar Pradesh.

Besides, Rs 2 crore would be given if a producer shoots his second film in the state. While the amount would be raised to Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 2.75 crore for third and fourth films respectively, the grant would be hiked to Rs 3 crore on subsequent films.

However, the grant would be subject to the ceiling of 25 per cent of the total cost of producing a Hindi film and up to 50 per cent of the cost of a Bhojpuri, Braj, Bundeli and Awadhi flicks.

At the same time, if five main lead actors of the film belong to Uttar Pradesh, an additional amount of Rs 25 lakh will be given to the producers. This special grant would be raised to Rs 50 lakh, if all actors hail from the state.

Moreover, if the storyline of the film has the state’s culture, tourism and heritage as central themes, an additional grant of Rs 50 lakh will be given to the producer. An additional grant of Rs 50 lakh would be given if post-production work is done in the state. Such facilities are available in Noida.

To encourage film institutes, the government would give grant of Rs 50 lakh if such centres are opened in Uttar Pradesh with the exception of Noida and Greater Noida.

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