My film is stuck with NFDC: Aijaz Ahmed

Even as Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni earmarked Rs 20 crore for the National Film Development Corporation, it hardly brought any smiles to the faces of the filmmakers. The reason? Films are still lying with the authorities with no release in sight.

There are as many as eight films, which include White Elephant, Bioscope, Maya Bazaar, As the River Flows and Haat (directed by Om Puri's wife Seema Kapoor) that are stuck - some complete and a few half done.

NFDC, a government body formed in 1975 to promote filmmaking and develop the Indian Film Industry started off well with films like, Richard Attenborough's Gandhi (1982), Kundan Shah's Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Ketan Mehta's Mirch Masala (1987), Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay (1988) and Kalpana Lajmi's Rudaali (1993). However, in the last four-years they have managed to release just one film, Via Darjeeling (2008).

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