Centre plans movie fests to create ‘patriotic wave’

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government has decided to promote nationalism among people by conducting film festivals that screen movies made on national icons and promotion of national integration.

“Patriotic Film Festivals”, sources said, are being conducted by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) and will culminate with the upcoming Independence Day and are part of celebrations that mark 70 years of Indian Independence.

Films on national icons like Gandhi (1982), Sardar (1993), Shaheed Uddham Singh (1997), Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose — The Forgotten Hero (2005) and Veer Savarkar (2001) are part of the selection.

Other films which promote national integration like Shaheed (1965), Upkar (1967), Chak De ! India (2007), Border (1997) and Lagaan (2001) have also been selected. Hindi films from Bollywood and other regional languages are being used to promote nationalism through these festivals.

Sources said that these festivals are being conducted in collaboration with the local administration. The district administration has been asked to hire cinema halls and arrange for public screening of these films, sources said.

In case such festivals are being organised in extremist-infested areas of Jammu and Kashmir or Chhattisgarh, the state governments have been asked to book community centres or schools for display of these films, sources added.

Sources said that the proposal for using films to promote nationalism was mooted in an effort to reach out to the population.  

Recently, the Modi government also decided to wean away stone-throwers of the Valley through Bollywood films. This newspaper had reported on March 26 that the Union information and broadcasting ministry along with the human resource development ministry planned to conduct over 200 film shows in schools across the militancy-affected areas.

About 40,000 students have been targeted in terror-infested districts of Jammu and Kashmir through the initiative.

The DFF was set up by the government in 1973 to organise international and national film festivals within the country.

The DFF facilitates India’s participation in festivals abroad, arranges programmes of foreign films in India and Indian films abroad and holds the national film awards function. The DFF also promotes international friendship, provides access to new trends in world cinema, generates healthy competition and, in the process, helps improve the standards of Indian films.

List of films being screened at these festivals
1. Gandhi (1982) (Hindi)
2. Sardar (1993) (Hindi)
3. Shaheed Uddham Singh (1997) (Punjabi)
4. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose-The Forgotten Hero (2005)
5. Upkar (1967) (Hindi)
6. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000) (English)
7. Veerapandiya (1959) (Tamil)
8. Chota Sipahi (2004)
9. Alluri Seetarama Rajua(1974) (Telugu)
10. I am Kalam (2011) (Hindi)
11. Mary Kom (2014) (Hindi)
12. Iqbal (2005) (Hindi)
13. Lagaan (2001) (Hindi)
14. Jagriti (1954)
15. Haqueqat (1964)
16. Veer Savarkar (2001)
17. Shaheed (1965)
18. Chak De ! India (2007) (Hindi)
19. Border (1997) (Hindi)