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Veteran film-makers criticise Balchitravani closure

Balchitravani served the society when it had no state-of-the-art equipment when it comes to films

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Criticising the government for its apathy to keep Balchitravani alive, noted producer Arun Kakatkar on Wednesday said that it is sad that the government which spent crores of Rupees on swearing in ceremonies cannot afford Rs 2-3 crore per year for to keep Balchitravani afloat.

Kakatkar, who has worked with Balchitravani for 18 years, has produced a number of films and has even worked with Doordarshan in its initial years.

Pointing out the example of Gujarat government, the veteran producer Kakatkar said that soon after Union Government stopped its grant for SIET, the government has assumed responsibility to run SIET as a state institute. He said that Balbharati Institute served the society when it had no state-of-the-art equipment and has imparted rural children with quality educational programmes when distance learning was a distant dream.

Kakatkar said that Balbharati has a studio as well as equipment, and it should be ensured that it is not scrapped. He expressed the need to digitise all the content created by Balbharati.

Describing the state government’s decision as 'Penny wise and pound foolish', another senior producer Keshav Sathaye, who has worked with Balbharati for 22 years, said that it was disheartening to hear of Balchitravani’s closure. Sathaye said that the government has stated that anyone can make a video film by using mobile phone and has cited that many teachers are making their own educational films.

Sathaye said that technology is available to everyone but everyone cannot become a producer or film maker. The staff at Balchitravani was trained at international institutions as well as the space application centre in Ahmedabad. He said that it is absurd to say that the state government cannot bare the expenses since people can make films on their own.

CONTRIBUTION

  • Balchitravani served the society when it had no state-of-the-art equipment when it comes to films.
     
  • It imparted quality educational programmes to rural children at a time when distance learning was still a dream.
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