Dehradun: On Thursday, in the auditorium of the Information and Public Relations Department, a five-day acting workshop organized by Next Level and Sambhav Kala Manch was inaugurated by lighting a lamp jointly by Director General of Information and CEO of the Uttarakhand Film Development Council, Banshidhar Tiwari, renowned casting director and producer Parag Mehta, Additional Director of Industries, Shikhar Saxena, and Nodal Officer of the Film Development Council, Dr. Nitin Upadhyay. Upon his arrival in Uttarakhand, Banshidhar Tiwari welcomed casting director and producer Parag Mehta with a shawl and a memento.
Addressing the workshop, Chief Guest, CEO of the Uttarakhand Film Development Council, Banshidhar Tiwari, said that it is the result of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s vision that film shooting and the film industry are receiving encouragement in the state today. He said that, as per Chief Minister Dhami’s directives, a new film policy has been implemented, which is better than other states. He added that the Uttarakhand government is providing more grants than other states. Tiwari stated that there is no shortage of talent in Uttarakhand; what is needed is a better platform for them. Tiwari stated that the Film Development Council has initiated this type of workshop as an innovative initiative. He said that our local artists will benefit from the experience of renowned Bollywood casting director and producer Parag Mehta. He expressed his expectation that Mehta will organize similar workshops in the future.
Renowned Bollywood casting director and producer Parag Mehta said that Uttarakhand is very beautiful and an excellent location for shooting. He said that he will strive to ensure that as many Bollywood films as possible are shot in Uttarakhand. As more films come to Uttarakhand, local artists will also get opportunities. Mehta thanked the state government for its support in organizing the workshop.
Additional Director of Industries, Shikhar Saxena, stated that the Industries Department is committed to ensuring a conducive environment for the film industry in the state. He added that the single-window system has been made accessible and simple.
Dr. Nitin Upadhyay, Nodal Officer and Joint Chief Executive Officer of the Uttarakhand Film Development Council, stated that Uttarakhand’s new film policy is being discussed nationally today. The new film policy has been designed to be very attractive. He added that to maximize opportunities for local artists in films, incentives for grants have been provided in the policy. This workshop will be helpful in nurturing local talent and artists.
The program was conducted by Abhishek Mandola of Sambhav Kala Manch. Present on the occasion were Sanjay Bisht, Rajat Kumar, Neo Farswan from Next Level, Anurag Joshi, Devshali, Sudhir, Kunal Shamsher Malla, and others from Sambhav Kala Manch.
