In a move that is bound to evoke resistance from exhibitors across the State, the Maharashtra Government has decided to enforce a notification issued by its Home Department in 2010 that makes it mandatory for the multiplexes in the State to screen Marathi films during the prime time slots.
Announcing this during his reply to a debate in the State Assembly, Maharashtra Culture Minister Vinod Tawde said: “On February 2, 2010, the State Home Department had come out with a notification under which the multiplex owners are obligated to screen as many as 112 shows of Marathi films in a year. The notification also makes it mandatory on the multiplex owners to screen Marathi films during the prime slots”.
Dwelling on the reasons for coming out with such a restriction on the multiplex owners in the State, Tawde said that as per a notification issued on September 20, 2001, the State Revenue Department had decided to give 100 per cent exemption from entertainment tax to multiplex owners for the first three years from the start of their establishments and 75 per cent exemption from entertainment tax for the subsequent two years.
“While giving such an entertainment tax exemption, one of the conditions that the State Government had imposed on the multiplex owners that they should reserve their multiplexes for screening Marathi films for a period of at least one month in a year,” the Minister said.
Tawde said that a follow up of the decision taken by the State Revenue Ministry, the State Home Department had sent out letters to all district collectors and police chiefs on June 14, 2002 making it mandatory on the multiplex owners to screen Marathi films for a period as specified in the earlier notification.
“In an effort to enforce the decision strictly, the department issued one more notification February 2, 2010 making mandatory on multiplex owners to exhibit as many as 112 shows of Marathi films in a year and to screen Marathi films during prime slots,” Tawde said.
Tawde said that apart from enforcing the decision on showing Marathi films at multiplexes during prime time slots (6 pm to 9 pm), the State Government would henceforth also make it obligatory on the multiplex owners to show along with national anthem, a short film on father of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke.
“The State Government is currently producing a short film on Dadasahen Phalke for the purpose. If we are making mandatory on the multiplex owners to show a short film on Dadasaheb Phalke, it is because we would like the people to know that a Marathi-speaking person laid foundation stone for Indian cinema,” the Minister said.