Kannada cinema in trouble again

If you thought that the financial year end would be a hazardous task to all business and management firms, the list doesn't end here. The Regional Censor Board of Film Certification has watched nearly eight films in the past three days as the financial year end is also the cut off date for Award committee as well as the subsidy committee. Didn't get it right is it? Here is the full story. As December 31 is the last date to send films for National award selection committee, March 31 is the last date to submit for State Award as well as the Subsidy given by the State Government. So, Chandrashekar headed censor committee has watched films like 'Sandesha', 'Manada Neralu', 'Accident' and 'Gubbachchigalu' in past three days. The committee is scheduled to view four films on the last day itself.

Though filing applications for the award committe is not at all a problem, sending applications to the subsidy committee has become a huge problem. Because though the censor board watches the film today itself, it takes another two to three days to give its assessment. Though the date of film on the Censor certificate will be March 31st itself, when the producer gets the final certificate from the board, it will be april and the last date to file the application is 31st March. Moreover the producer who is sending the film to the subsidy committee must attach a Demand draft to the Information department along with the censor certificate, tax free certificate and an authorised letter from the lab.

Last year director Shivarudraiah's 'Daatu' witnessed the same problem. Though the film was censored on or before 31st March 2007, it couldn't compete for last year's subsidy committee as the whole process was delayed. If you see 'Daatu' appearing in this year's list then don't confuse yourselves. It's all a part of a game.

'The films that are censored at the nth minute are mostly small budget art films and not big budget commercial films. The producers won't be in a position to wait for another one more year if he misses a chance to send the film to the subsidy committee. So, the Government must give us some extra time' says an anonymous producer.

But Censor committee chief Chandrashekar has another thing to say. 'We have been watching the films even on holidays and in double shifts just to help the producers. We want them to prosper also. That's why we are helping them even at the cost of our holidays. Its wrong to say the censor board is not co-operating them in this issue. It is not us who is to decide. The Government must think about this matter. If we get permission, then we will make the censor cut off date as March 25, so that the producers will be getting enough time to submit their applications even before March 31' suggests Chandrashekar.

Whatever may be the problem, even the producers has to co-operate in this issue. Though producers know that 31st March is the cut off date for Award committee as well as the subsidy committee, not many make preparations to file their applications before the cut off date. All rush in the last minute make Government's rules and regulations go haywire unnecessarily. Grace period will not be allowed for the applications seeking subsidy from the state government, as in the case of films seeking state government award. For any application that is submitted after the deadline date it faces disqualification on that particular year and it will be considered only for the next year.

Producers are of the opinion that the state government better set a new deadline which can be before April 10 next year or allow some grace period for submitting subsidy applications.