Bengaluru
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar acknowledged the challenges currently facing the film industry and stated that the government will review the situation, prepare a report, and extend the necessary support to promote the sector. He also felicitated Padma Bhushan awardee Anant Nag and Padma Shri awardee Hasan Raghu at the Karnataka Film Artistes’ Association auditorium.
Cinema has a lot to do with politics. If you do a drama by painting, we politicians are playing a drama without colouring. That’s the difference between us and you. Many people from the film industry keep visiting me. There has been talk of Sandalwood overtaking Bollywood for the past few years. This must be preserved. There are many problems including low number of theatres and OTT reaching homes, he said that he should study this and submit a report.
Recently, film distributors and exhibitors met and discussed many issues. The film industry is growing. Even though there are fifty actors and producers, there are thousands of people working in the film. Art is not anybody’s property, we have to preserve it and nurture it, he said.
Recently, I had to intervene in the matter of the pollution control board’s notice on Bigg Boss. I don’t know why they gave it to me. But we are aware that there are thousands of people working and there is public attention. So I told the authorities and gave them another chance. Nevertheless, this industry is ongoing, competition has increased. Technology is evolving, he said.
Anant Nag has made significant contributions to the film industry. He later entered politics and served as the Urban Development Minister, maintaining a clean record without any controversies. Though he is senior to me, he jokingly remarked that he looks younger than I do, said DCM
