Cash-starved State prepares for grand awards' ceremony

Cash-starved State prepares for grand awards' ceremony
YOGESH PAWAR

THANE, APRIL 29: The 37th State Government's Marathi film award distribution ceremony gets underway on Sunday at Dadaji Kondadeo stadium, Thane. In spite of its critical financial health the Government seems to be leaving no stone unturned in making grandiose arrangements for the Rs 65-lakh extravaganza.

To be inaugurated at the hands of veteran actor Dilip Kumar with Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh presiding, the ceremony will take off at 7 pm. While many may welcome the fact that the ceremony will be organised outside Mumbai for the first time, not many are pleased that the audience will have to buy tickets to gain entry -- a first in the 36-year history of the awards. While seats in the stall will cost Rs 20 each, audiences who want a larger piece of the action nearer the 100 feet stage awash with 400 lights and two lasers will have to shell out Rs 2,000 each.

While organisers are trying to justify charging the audiences saying the money will be used for the war-affected soldiers from Kargil the babudom sniggers saying, "with empty coffers they never had money in the first place and the whole programme will have to be called off." "The 5-hour long show will see stars and stalwarts from Marathi and Hindi filmdom making an appearance," Deputy Speaker in the Assembly Vasant Davkhare (a Thane resident) who heads the organising committee told The Indian Express. According to him 24 Marathi films were made in 1999 as compared to only 10 in 1998. "This is entirely due to the support from the Government. "The State gives a sum of Rs 15 lakh per producer as finance for film production if she or he has already produced one film."

When asked about why most of the stars he named had not bothered to confirm their arrival he said, "It must be due to their busy schedule. We are confident that they will make it." Officials from the State Culture Department were not so sure. "Imagine what a dud the show will be if big names in Marathi films don't turn up," said one of them wondering aloud the difference between Pramod Navalkar ("who has a great rapport with film stars) and current Culture Minister Ramkrishan More ("who anyone hardly knows").

With the venue being readied to seat at least 25,000 people the Thane police have an unenviable job ahead of them. Requesting people to "assemble in their seats two hours before," the CP Bhujangrao Mohite has asked people "to cooperate and avoid any untoward incident."

If there is a buzz of discontent about the festival it is from the government machinery itself with the various civic bodies in the district, the tehsildars, talaltis and the even the police department being entrusted with the task of selling the Rs 2,000 passes with targets set from Rs 1.5 lakh to 15,000. "While it is understandable the Government is interested in raising money why should people like me who don't watch films and don't understand Marathi be forced to buy tickets?" asked a leading hotelier in Thane who has been asked to buy three passes. Apart from hoteliers and bar-owners, others being targeted are big contractors and builders.

While the State has given a grant of Rs 25 lakh, the Thane Municipal Corporation has given Rs 15 lakh, both Navi Mumbai and Ulhasnangar municipal corporations have given Rs 10 lakh each and the Kalyan Dombvili municipal corporation has given Rs 3 lakh as contribution for the awards ceremony. The Mira-Bhayander and Bhiwandi municipal councils have given Rs 5 lakh each. This alone adds up to Rs 73 lakh while the ticket sales are bound to augment further revenue. Davkhare refuted this. "It is true that we are hard-pressed for resources and we will definitely try to break this event even but we are definitely not forcing people to buy tickets." According to him some of the staff from Government offices had offered to sell tickets. Well-known stage artiste Ashok Hande's troupe will provide entertainment for the evening which will begin with reknowned shehnai exponent Shailesh Bhagwat's performance.