CM Yediyurappa says work on film city soon

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday said that the work on the proposed film city in Bengaluru will start soon as he assured all possible help to the Kannada film industry that is under distress due to the Covid pandemic and related restrictions.

"Most importantly regarding the film city, there were earlier talks over whether it should be set up at Mysuru or Bengaluru. Now the search is on for land in Bengaluru.

It will be finalised at the earliest. The film city will come up in Bengaluru, for which Rs 500 crore has been earmarked in the budget. Work in this regard will start soon," Yediyurappa said.

At the earliest things will be finalised and work will start in this regard, he said. Speaking to reporters after meeting a delegation from the Kannada film industry, he said they shared their issues and concerns, to which he assured that he would address whatever was possible.

Recently, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan had said that the film city would be established on 150 acres of land at Hessarghatta in the city. Representatives of the film industry, including star actors Shiva Rajkumar, Yash, Duniya Vijay, Tara Anuradha, Film Chamber president D R Jairaj, among others, met the Chief Minister and submitted a memorandum, along with a charter of demands.

Shiva Rajkumar said all issues concerning the industry, including film chamber, producers section, exhibitors, directors and labour, which include actors, have been shared with the Chief Minister and he promised to look into it and try to resolve whatever was possible at the earliest.

Not wishing to put any figure to the loss faced by the industry due to the pandemic and lockdown, he told reporters that there was no doubt that they have suffered huge losses in the last six month long period.