Study panel to recognise Kannada film industry under industrial policy

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday formed a study committee to formulate a draft policy aimed at extending the facilities of the state's Industrial Policy to the film industry by officially recognising it as an industry. 

The committee will have to conduct a detailed study of the policies followed by the union government and various states and discuss with experts from various fields of the Kannada film industry. An additional grant of Rs 3 lakh has been sanctioned to meet the expenditure related to the study. 

The committee will be presided over by the commissioner of the Information and Public Relations Department. The members include: Mehboob Pasha, president of Sri Kanteerava Studio; Sadhu Kokila, president of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy (KCA); film producers Sa Ra Govindu and Ramesh Reddy; film exhibitors K V Chandrasekhar (who owns Veeresh Cinema) and Rajaram (Mysuru); film director R Chandru,
members of KCA, Vinnu Kumar S and D G Venkatesh, Director of Industries and Commerce and Joint Directors (Photography and Film Branch). 

At present, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal recognise film industries in their respective states under the State's Industrial Policy. 

The recognition of a film industry as an industry under the state's industrial policy brings tangible economic, financial and legal benefits, similar to other manufacturing or service sectors like IT, textiles and tourism.