#Budget2019: Shooting in exotic locations becomes easier for Indian filmmakers
Among several headline-inducing announcements which acting Finance Minister Piyush Goyal made on Thursday, he also made it easier for Indian filmmakers to shoot at exotic locations. In the interim budget, Goyal announced single window clearance for movie makers, a facility which was till now restricted to their foreign counterparts. This decision was well received by many members of the Hindi film industry.
Rather than running from one counter to another, single window clearance allows people to submit all documents at one place. Notably, filmmakers had to seek clearances from several agencies before commencing shoot. In Maharashtra alone, they had to seek permission from 35 different agencies, including police, fire department, and BMC. While Maharashtra introduced single window clearance in 2018, Goyal's announcement definitely has more impact.
Making the big announcement in the budget, Goyal said entertainment industry is extremely important to the country as it generates a lot of employment. He added he saw Uri, Vicky Kaushal's latest movie, and the josh in the theater was high. Goyal went on to say an anti-camcording provision will be introduced to the Cinematography Act to combat privacy.
Welcome move by @narendramodi Government for initiating Anti-Camcording provision in the Cinematography Act to fight Piracy and Single window clearance for Film Shootings.This will help the Film Industry in a Big Way.🙏#Budget2019
— Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) February 1, 2019
Earlier, the government had reduced GST on movie tickets, a move which was hailed by entire Bollywood. The Centre brought movie tickets costing up to Rs. 100 under 12% GST slab and those costing more than Rs. 100 in 18% slab. Further, PM Modi met many film dignitaries recently and spoke about developing the film industry. He also acknowledged their contribution to the economy.
Goyal's announcement of tax exemption for those earning up to Rs. 5 lakh/annum sent a wave of relief across the salaried class. The Centre also announced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme which would benefit farmers having less than 2 hectares of land. Under this scheme, Rs. 6,000/year, divided into three installments, will be deposited into bank accounts of marginalized farmers.
