Tableau on Indian cinema on at Republic day, more in store

Mumbai, Jan 18 (IANS) A tableau by the ministry of information & broadcasting during the Jan 26 Republic Day parade will portray the journey of the Indian film industry over 100 years, ministry secretary Uday Kumar Verma said here Friday.

"We have many plans to celebrate the completion of 100 years of Indian cinema. The Republic Day tableau is one of them, where we will depict a portrayal of the well known film that the industry has seen in the last year," Verma told reporters here Friday.

Verma also appealed to the people to view the YouTube channel of the ministry and the information that has been provided on centennial year celebrations of the industry.

"The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting's tableau on Republic Day seeks to portray how the strips of celluloid have harnessed a nation's aspirations and dreams, as manifested in the vision of its filmmakers for 100 years," said Verma quoting the YouTube channel.

The central idea of the tableau is the "re-interpretation of the quintessential Indian motif of the mythological flying bird boat, the Mayur Pankhi".

According to the YouTube video, which has a voiceover by acclaimed actor Irrfan, the tableau carries an image of veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar, and has names of iconic films like "Mother India" and "Sholay" inscribed on it.

Verma said that the I&B ministry is also rolling out a series of events across the country to mark 100 years of the Indian film industry.

During the year-long celebration, 100 classics that shaped not just the industry but also mirrored the changing society will be telecast across India.

"Film festivals across the country and are being held by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) and National Film Archives of India (NFAI) as a part of the celebrations," he said.

The films will be screened at state capitals and will showcase the 100 films with an exhibition of posters and photos.

A special commemorative stamp will also be released to commemorate the occasion. As a boon for foreign film directors who have been making a beeline for Indian locales for shooting, the government will launch a film commission next year.

A single- window clearance system will also be set up for all those producers and directors who run from pillar to post to get clearances on shooting locations.

"This will save the filmmakers lot of hassle and boost tourism," Verma said.

A films heritage mission aimed at restoring and preserving old movies will also be initiated in a few months," he added.

A national students' film festival will be jointly organised by the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata.