Lucknow/Noida: A Singapore-based media company has offered an initial investment of USD 10 million (approximately Rs 73.51 crore) for setting up a film academy in the proposed film city in Uttar Pradesh. The offer came during an interaction of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with a bevvy of filmmakers and artists on Tuesday over the new film city project that would come up in a 1,000-acre area along Yamuna Expressway near Noida, an official statement said.

“The prompt action by the state government immediately received a positive response (from film fraternity) as ace Art director Nitin Desai offered to set up an entire Film City on the lines of what has been set up in Mumbai. He was of the opinion that about 80 per cent of technicians and workforce in Mumbai film industry are from UP and after the industry in UP itself, the availability of manpower will never be a problem, the statement from the chief minister’s office said. “In another offer, Sandeep Singh of Vistas Media, a Singapore-based company, has offered to set up a Film Academy with an initial investment of USD 10 million (approximately Rs 73.51 crore), it said.

Some film fraternity members had reached Lucknow for the meeting with Adityanath, while veteran actors like Anupam Kher and Paresh Rawal had joined the interaction over a video conference. Chairman of Film Producer Association Ashok Pandit welcomed the decision by the state government and said one should look beyond Hindi films and even multilingual films can be made in UP.

“After all, the Bhojpuri films are already made here,” he pointed out. Kher said the proposed film city should have and will have a global recognition”. He emphasized on the training part and asked to evolve some training logistics.

Filmmaker and actor Satish Kaushik, who recently shot his film Kagaz in UP, said the state has offered a great alternative to film professionals and aspirants. “The vantage location of the proposed film city caters to large geography and demography of the northern region, he said.

Lyricist Manoj Muntashir welcomed the state government’s move for taking Hindi film industry to Hindi-speaking belt. “The local ethos and mosaic culture will get a further boost if film institute and music academy are also built in UP, he said.

Tamil filmmaker Saundarya said the animation, digital technology and other facilities are the need of the hour and noted that they are already proposed in the film city of Uttar Pradesh. Singers Udit Narayan, Kailash Kher and Anup Jalota too hailed the development, according to the statement.

Among others present during the meeting were UP’s Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC) Alok Tandon, Additional Chief Secretary, Information and Home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary to the chief minister S P Goyal, Director of Information Shishir, it added.