WATCH OUT FOR UNREGULATED FILM SHOOTING IN AND AROUND VIZAG
There is no doubt that a vibrant filming industry not only generates welcome revenue but - if the context of the film is right - it shows the city in favourable light making it an attractive destination. For example "Lord of the rings" NEW ZEALAND, "Game of thrones" CROATIA or "When Harry met Sejal" in PRAGUE, AMSTERDAM, VIENNA to name a few. Switzerland has got a thriving filming industry popularizing it's towns such as ENGELBERG.
However in every such place the rules for shooting films are well defined and stringent. Especially rules against polluting the locations.
In the India this is not the case. When travelling in Aru Valley Kashmir in 2015 we saw thousands of Styrofoam plates strewn in green grasslands by a film crew shooting a Hindi film. Closer to home in Anjoda on the outskirts of Araku, after every shoot, the beautiful wooded forests are full of plastic packets, plates and plastic cups. Outdoor film shoots are a mess.
In Vizag much of the plastics blown by the wind land up in the sea. I do not know if we have a written policy on what the film production crew's responsibility is regarding keeping the location clean. If the clean-up is being done with our tax money it is wrong.
In some places filming should be taboo. For example in Erra Matti Dibbalu. Crew's clambering all over the sensitive dunes will destroy it in no time. In our youth I remember that a film crew poured lime wash (Chunam) on the red mud formations to indicate snow! This had a huge impact on this sensitive site for several years.
In 2011 a film company shooting for "Sri Rama Rajyam" built an entire palace like set made of Plaster of Paris (POP) in the middle of Chembuvanipalem lake near Madurawada with the blessings of the forest department. After a hue and cry by concerned citizens and a notice being served on DFO P. Rammohan Rao the POP palace was knocked down. But all the POP pieces were left in the water.
Similarly on the Araku Chaparai road a film set to depict a large zamindari house was knocked down after shooting with several square kilometres of the stream banks polluted with POP pieces. Much of the stuff ended up in the once pure mountain steam.
In addition to the threat of garbage there is the inconvenience caused by traffic disruption. Vizagites should not pay the price for someone else's convenience unless it means a lucrative benefit for our city and only if it helps improve our city greatly.
As you can see unless there are stringent rules in place and a lucrative financial benefit for the city we should never allow shooting in and around Vizag.
We should ask those responsible for giving permission for shooting at what terms and what cost the facilities are being offered. After all the beauty for which the film companies come here has a great value and we must demand the right price to give it for shooting.
It is not for us to tell the media how to do a report but I wish the reporter considered these points when he wrote this report. It will be a pity if we become lax in this matter.
However in every such place the rules for shooting films are well defined and stringent. Especially rules against polluting the locations.
In the India this is not the case. When travelling in Aru Valley Kashmir in 2015 we saw thousands of Styrofoam plates strewn in green grasslands by a film crew shooting a Hindi film. Closer to home in Anjoda on the outskirts of Araku, after every shoot, the beautiful wooded forests are full of plastic packets, plates and plastic cups. Outdoor film shoots are a mess.
In Vizag much of the plastics blown by the wind land up in the sea. I do not know if we have a written policy on what the film production crew's responsibility is regarding keeping the location clean. If the clean-up is being done with our tax money it is wrong.
In some places filming should be taboo. For example in Erra Matti Dibbalu. Crew's clambering all over the sensitive dunes will destroy it in no time. In our youth I remember that a film crew poured lime wash (Chunam) on the red mud formations to indicate snow! This had a huge impact on this sensitive site for several years.
In 2011 a film company shooting for "Sri Rama Rajyam" built an entire palace like set made of Plaster of Paris (POP) in the middle of Chembuvanipalem lake near Madurawada with the blessings of the forest department. After a hue and cry by concerned citizens and a notice being served on DFO P. Rammohan Rao the POP palace was knocked down. But all the POP pieces were left in the water.
Similarly on the Araku Chaparai road a film set to depict a large zamindari house was knocked down after shooting with several square kilometres of the stream banks polluted with POP pieces. Much of the stuff ended up in the once pure mountain steam.
In addition to the threat of garbage there is the inconvenience caused by traffic disruption. Vizagites should not pay the price for someone else's convenience unless it means a lucrative benefit for our city and only if it helps improve our city greatly.
As you can see unless there are stringent rules in place and a lucrative financial benefit for the city we should never allow shooting in and around Vizag.
We should ask those responsible for giving permission for shooting at what terms and what cost the facilities are being offered. After all the beauty for which the film companies come here has a great value and we must demand the right price to give it for shooting.
It is not for us to tell the media how to do a report but I wish the reporter considered these points when he wrote this report. It will be a pity if we become lax in this matter.
Comments