DELHI IN MOVIES CALENDAR
Gulzar
Lakshya’s song Agar Main Kahoon, Mujhe Tumse Mohabbat Hai was shot there but also bring down the cost of shooting, which turns away many producers.
“The first movie I helped shoot in the city was Sirf Tum in 1997. I feel it was easier to get permission those days. Now, the process has become cumbersome. It now takes a minimum 2-3 days to take permission from one department,” said Sarin.
He said the government agencies have drastically increased permit fee in the past couple of years. A producer has to shell out Rs 2 lakh for a day for a shoot in NDMC area; Rs 2 lakh per hour to shoot in the Metro; and Rs 1 lakh per day at any ASIprotected monument.
“Shooting a movie at Connaught Place is the toughest task because of the pressure by the traders association on the government to not allow film shoots in the market,” said a line producer who did not wish to be named.
Atul Bhargava, president of New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA), agreed that businessmen in Connaught Place resist film shoots as they have to suffer losses. “When they come over here, they take over the entire block. Our business suffers. Parking lots get blocked and the customers can’t come to the shop. They make money and it costs us. That is why we resist.
Compensate our loss in sales, then it is ok,” he said.
As part of its efforts to sell Delhi as a film shoot destination, the Delhi government has brought out a Bollywood theme calendar this year, Cine Delhi: Magic of Delhi on Celluloid. The calendar has pictures of the films shot in the city.
“We will distribute the calendar among the film fraternity. Now, we are not only helping filmmakers in getting clearances from various departments but also in identifying locations for the shoot. Later this month, shooting of a Danish film will start in the city,” Singh of the DTTDC said.