Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, was in Mumbai yesterday and at 3 pm met some filmmakers, including Shyam Benegal, Sriram Raghavan, Kumar Taurani, Sudhir Mishra, Ketan Mehta, Bharat Bala, Raja Menon, Vikram Malhotra, Epic channel's Mahesh Samat and censor board member, Vani Tripathi Tikoo, to discuss filmmaking and its exploitation in an attempt to open dialogue between the fraternity and the ministry.

When asked if the subject matter of censorship had been raised, Benegal, who heads a special panel to revamp the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), said, “Whether a film is censored or not is not a major issue. This interface with the industry to get some feedback, understand the business and its problems, and see how the central and state governments can facilitate exhibition and distribution. It was the first of many meetings with the minister saying that anyone can meet him anytime.“

Sudhir Mishra admits that one of the biggest problems facing them is the lack of theatrical space. “There are so many Hindi films being made in a year and so few theatres. As a result, the smaller films are not getting a chance. Distribution of certain kinds of films is another issue,“ he said. Director Raja Menon whose Airlift released last Friday, was in for a surprise when the minister complimented him, saying it's a film everyone needs to watch, and admitting that he bought his own ticket. For him Rathore is as much an Olympic hero as a Member of Parliament and he's looking to him for a single-window clearance to shoot anywhere in the country and a one-body representation for tax-exemption.

“Entertainment Tax is another issue. A ticket that costs Rs 300 is extremely prohibitive and keeps 90 per cent of the audience from watching a film in the theatre. In Tamil Nadu, theatres can't charge more than Rs 120 in the city and Rs 60 in the interiors and that's why it has the largest theatre-going audience,“ Menon reasons.

Producer Vikram Malhotra adds that the discussion extended to how industry bodies like the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) and the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI) could work better, what more can be done on platforms like International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and how production can be made smoother. “It was a pro-active discussion. The minister was on the ball, following up on an agenda and asking all the right questions. The meeting gave us reason to be optimistic,“ he says.