Bollywood STUNNED as Bihar offers HIGHEST film subsidy of up to Rs. 4 cr; Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra applaud the GAME-CHANGING move

The Bihar Film Conclave 2024 was held on October 18 at Taj City Centre, Patna and has become a talking point in the industry. It was graced by several industry personalities, especially those who have their roots in Bihar. Bihar deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, Development commissioner of Bihar, Chaitanya Prasad, secretary of art and culture department, Dayanidhan Pandey, and general manager of Bihar State Film Development & Finance Corporation, Rahul Kumar, also graced their presence.

Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke with Rahul Kumar to understand the salient features of this policy. He told us, “It is called the Bihar Film Promotion Policy and it was introduced in July. In the first week of October, we approved the operational guidelines.”

He added that, “We have started the single window clearance system for shoot permissions, subsidy, NOCs, etc.” He further said, “We are giving the highest subsidy in the country. For feature films, we have three slabs for subsidy. If any producer is making his or her first film, depending on the number of shooting days, we’ll give a subsidy between Rs. 2 to 4 crores. Along with this subsidy amount, if a film is promoting Bihar in a positive way, we’ll provide an additional Rs. 50 lakhs.”

Rahul Kumar also stated, “If the top 3 artists of the film are from Bihar, then additional Rs. 25 lakhs will be given while an additional Rs. 10 lakhs will be given if 5 tier-2 artists are cast in the film. This is our way of incentivizing filmmakers to cast our talented local actors. There are also incentives if films are made in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Magahi, which are widely spoken in the state.”

The facilities are not just limited to the theatrical medium. Rahul Kumar said, “For web series, we are giving subsidy up to Rs. 3 crores. The only conditions are that Bihar should not be portrayed in a negative light and that the content should not be only for adults. It should have a universal appeal. As for TV shows, we are granting subsidy up to Rs. 1 crore and Rs. 25 lakhs additional if Bihar artists are cast. For documentaries, Rs. 30 lakhs will be provided and if it’s an international production, we are giving grants up to Rs. 40 lakhs.”

If you think that’s all, you are mistaken. Rahul Kumar continued, “If any studio wants to set up a lab or any post-production or animation facility in Bihar, we’ll reimburse up to Rs. 1.25 crore. If any student from Bihar is enrolled into the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), National School of Drama (NSD) or Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI), we’ll cover their tuition fees completely. We have already started getting applications for it.”

The policy also takes into account the plight of the exhibition sector. Rahul Kumar explained, “For old, shut down single screens, we’ll help with its renovation. The guidelines for it will be introduced very soon.”

Talking about the Bihar Film Conclave 2024, he said, “We invited IMPPA (Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association) chairman Abhay Sinha. He is from Bihar. Manoj Tiwari, Ravi Kishan, Akhilendra Mishra, Pankaj Jha, Aseem Bajaj, Vineet Kumar, and others were also present. We told them about these incentives and assured them of full support if they came to Bihar to shoot. We told them that we’d also give them the list of beautiful shooting locations, accommodation options, transport, etc.”

The three stalwarts from Bihar – Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi and Sanjay Mishra – couldn’t make it but they sent their good wishes through a video message, which was played at the event. In the video, Manoj Bajpayee said, “I hope all filmmakers make good use of the facilities provided as it will play a huge role in boosting the film scene in Bihar.”

Pankaj Tripathi explained, “I am hopeful that thanks to this initiative, a lot of untold stories from Bihar and beautiful locations of the state will be depicted on screen. Ek film friendly mahaul bhi banega.” He added, “Bihar ki masaumiyat abhi cinema ne dekhi hi kahan hai!”

Lastly, Sanjay Mishra said, “Bihar ka cinema badhega toh Bihar badhega!”

Also Read: Manoj Bajpayee praises Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari co-star Diljit Dosanjh; says, “He is a gem of a person”

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