On Tuesday, the renowned Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal met the Director General of Information and Chief Executive Officer of the Uttarakhand Film Development Council (UFDC), Banshidhar Tiwari, on the set of the upcoming Bollywood film “Past Tense,” directed by Anant Narayan Mahadevan, located on the Dehradun-Mussoorie road. Joint Director of Information and Joint Chief Executive Officer Dr. Nitin Upadhyay was also present during the meeting.
Paresh Rawal has worked in over 240 films throughout his career and has received numerous accolades. The film “Past Tense,” produced under the Flying Stones banner, features a stellar cast, including Aditya Rawal, Adil Hussain, Sharib Hashmi, Tanisha Chatterjee, Gagan Dev Riar, Smita Tambe, Satish Sharma, and Shraddha Bhatt. This social family drama film has made a conscious effort to involve local support crews in its production.
Director General of Information Banshidhar Tiwari highlighted that the state government has included a significant grant amount for films in the new film policy. This policy also extends grants to films and web series released on OTT platforms. He stated that under the guidance of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the government is fully committed to the development of every sector related to film production. The state government aims to promote new employment opportunities through film production while boosting tourism in Uttarakhand. The new policy also aims to promote lesser-known shooting destinations in the state. The Uttarakhand Film Development Council (UFDC) is continuously working in collaboration with the tourism department to identify new shooting locations, thereby enhancing the promotion of relatively lesser-known tourist sites in the state through films.
During the conversation, Paresh Rawal informed Director General of Information Banshidhar Tiwari that he recently completed shooting for two Bollywood films in Uttarakhand, which are currently in post-production and set to be released soon.
Commending the new film policy implemented in the state, Rawal praised the single-window system introduced by the Uttarakhand Film Development Council (UFDC). He remarked that the simplified process for obtaining shooting permissions has established Uttarakhand as a completely film-friendly destination for Bollywood and other states in the country. He noted that the new policy addresses all aspects necessary to enhance film shooting in the state, providing increased grants for both Hindi and local films, along with timely free shooting permits. This has encouraged filmmakers from outside the state to conduct more shoots in Uttarakhand, where local residents also offer various forms of assistance during filming, helping create a conducive environment for movie production. According to him, this new film policy has generated enthusiasm among filmmakers.
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It is noteworthy that there has been a surge in film and web series shooting in the state recently. Recently, a comedy suspense film titled “Hisaab,” directed by producer Vipul Shah, was completed. Before that, Anupam Kher’s “Tanvi The Great” was shot in Lansdowne over 36 days. Additionally, the film “Vicky Vidya Ka Wo Wala Video,” directed by Raj Shandilya and starring Rajkummar Rao and Tripti Dimri, was also completed in March. Earlier, the film “Do Patti,” featuring Kajol and Kriti Sanon, wrapped up its shoot in December.
Joint Director of Information Dr. Nitin Upadhyay mentioned that the web series “11 11,” shot in Uttarakhand, can be viewed on ZEE5, featuring Uttarakhand’s dancing star Raghav Juyal in the lead role. The film “Rautu Ka Raaj,” also available on ZEE5, stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The web series “Life Hil Gayi” can be streamed on Disney Hotstar, showcasing several local artists from Uttarakhand. A film titled “Tikadum,” featuring Amit Sial, was released on Jio Cinema Premium on August 23.
The number of films shot in local languages, such as Garhwali, Kumaoni, and Jaunsari, has been steadily increasing in the state. Recently, Garhwali films like “Meethi,” “Asgaar,” “Shaheed,” and “Sanskar,” made in the regional dialect, have been released and received considerable appreciation from audiences both within Uttarakhand and beyond.
