The Hindu Business Line : Film industry unfazed by political changes

"FILM is the cheapest form of entertainment. Film buffs of our country are going to flock to cinema irrespective of the fact whether the Congress makes it or the BJP exists," a comment from an official at Balaji Telefilms sums up the strength of the entertainment industry.

The industry is largely untouched and unfazed by the changing realities at the national political level.

The entertainment industry would continue its process of metamorphosis at its own pace. Its change or survival is dependent on other factors such as ratings for television, viewer turnout at cinema halls and consumer purchases of media products.

Within the gamut of the Indian entertainment industry, one segment that would remain unattended would be the private FM radio. "A new Government would mean a wait for another six to eight months to sort out the licensing fee issue," said a top official of a private FM station in Mumbai.

There was hope that the Government would have taken up the issue mid-May but with the change of power the entire process of setting up the new Cabinet would take up to 6-8 months.

Ironically, it was during the NDA regime that the entertainment industry enhanced its activities and spread its wings. The film industry was accorded an `industry' status at the time when Ms Sushama Swaraj was the Information & Broadcasting Minister.

But industry representatives aver that nothing has percolated down to the grass-root level.

"Financial institutions continue to eye the industry with suspicion. Very little institutional funding has come to the film industry," said a representative who declined from being named. "More than the change in Government, the budget would have some say for the film and television industry," said an official at Mukta Arts Ltd.

A Pritish Nandy Communication official also pointed to the fact that the entertainment industry, which falls under the category of new economy players, is not governed by Government policies.

"The film industry is highly secural and non-political. So it is largely unaffected by national politics," the Balaji Telefilms official said. According to him, there is no collective thought in the industry.

Conditional access system may get delayed further, said an official of a financial institution.

But Mr Ashok Mansukhani, Executive Vice-President, Hinduja TMT, believes that the regulator (TRAI) would go ahead with the policy changes irrespective of the changes in the Government. "The regulator works independent of the political situation," he said. "What I would say is that TRAI's functioning should be expanded to include the consumer angle and the Convergence Commission should come in," he said.