Yogi seeks Sanjay’s help in making UP a film hub
LUCKNOW: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath tried to hardsell UP as a filmmaking hub during his meeting with actor Sanjay Dutt to mark the launch of the BJP’s ‘sampark for samarthan’ campaign in Lucknow on Saturday.
Adityanath, whose government is planning a film festival in Varanasi along with National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), also spoke to Dutt about the need to promote Bundelkhand and Mirzapur – the neglected locales of the state – among filmmakers.
The UP government is anxious to develop backward and neglected regions of the state like the ones in eastern UP and Bundelkhand through a host of initiatives and making these places a potential hub of filmmakers is part of the plan.
“The film festival is still being planned but we have already given an advance invite for the festival to Dutt and he has agreed to be part of it,” said Awanish Awasthi, UP’s principal secretary (information), who was also part of the meeting that Dutt had with Adityanath.
Dutt also shared with Adityanath his desire to adopt Chilbila village near Allahabad associated with his maternal grandmother Jaddan Bibi, among the first few women directors and music composers of Indian cinema. Jaddan’s daughter Fatima Rashid aka Nargis, a hit actor of her times, was among the first few to break the religious divide in Bollywood by marrying actor Sunil Dutt.
“He has an emotional connect with the village and the government has agreed to his request,” Awasthi said. Dutt’s maternal grandmother Jaddan Bibi hailed from the village.
The chief minister gifted Dutt a brochure containing various initiatives of the Modi government titled ‘saaf niyat, sahi vikas’.
BJP chief Amit Shah had launched the ‘sampark for samarthan’ campaign to market Modi government’s achievements among the people and on Saturday Adityanath launched the initiative in the state.
Bollywood producer Rahul Mittra was also present. NRI Jay Patel was also there.