Nida Sayed (BOMBAY TIMES; February 13, 2020)

Panaji: The Goa government has decided to scrutinise movie scripts before giving permission to filmmakers to shoot in the state, chief minister Pramod Sawant said here on Wednesday.

The state government’s move comes after alleged portrayal of Goa as a drug hub in a recently released Bollywood film, Malang. “Why should they (the filmmakers) portray Goa as a drug destination?” Sawant said. He said the Entertainment Society Of Goa (ESG), the nodal agency for granting permissions for film shoots in the state, will vet the scripts.

“ESG will look at each story before giving permissions to shoot. It will ensure that the image of Goa as a state is not maligned. We will see how Goa is being portrayed and only then will permission be granted,” he said.

In its manual, the ESG states that it aims “to earn revenue on a long-term basis from ventures in film entertainment and leisure projects...and to bring about worldwide recognition to Goa as an ultimate tourism and entertainment destination”. 

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 21, 2019)

The opening ceremony of the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) flagged off in Goa at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium on Wednesday. Among the first guests to arrive on the red carpet was Karan Johar, who hosted the ceremony, followed by Rajinikanth, who was honoured with the ‘Icon of the Golden Jubilee’ Award and rushed in without stopping for a byte.

Soon after, Amitabh Bachchan who had skipped the Kolkata International Film Festival following a health scare, strode in with the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant. Immediately, Gabriele Donnini, an actor from the opening Italian film, Despite The Fog, who was explaining why it was an important film, was cut short in mid-sentence as the hosts turned to effusively welcome the Big B. The 77-year-old actor spoke about his 50-year run in Hindi cinema and reminisced about shooting his debut film, Saat Hindustani, in Goa.

Among the other guests were filmmakers Ramesh Sippy, Subhash Ghai, Madhur Bhandarkar, Nitesh Tiwari, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Priyadarshan and Rahul Rawail. Foreign dignitaries, included director of Despite The Fog, Goran Paskaljevic, and Lifetime Achievement Awardee French actress Isabelle Huppert. The former had not prepared a speech but appealed everyone to see his film which revolves around the crisis of minor refugees in Europe. “Happy to be here even though we’ve slept for just three hours,” he joked.

The event kick-started with a tribute to former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar, followed by the lamp being lit. Singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan’s fusion act blended the rhythms of India with international beats. His performance, which also included “Breathless” got a standing ovation from Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar, Bachchan, Rajinikanth and the audience present there. His closing act also included “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” in the presence of original arranger Louis Banks.

Rajinikanth received his award from the Big B, whom he called his “inspiration,” and dedicated it to his producers, directors, technicians and his fans. The Thalaiva, along with the ministers, then honoured Bachchan who, in his thank you speech, admitted that both Rajini and he give each other advice.

“It’s a separate topic that we never listen to it. However, we still advice each other, as I feel relationships are made of this,” he stated.