Declaring the Telangana government's support to the Telugu film industry, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday said the former would take steps to make Hyderabad a destination for international film shootings.
Reddy told this to a delegation of Telugu film personalities who called on him in Hyderabad.
The meeting assumes significance as it came amid speculation about differences between the Congress government and the Telugu film industry following the arrest of top actor Allu Arjun in the December 4 theatre stampede case.
During the meeting, Revanth Reddy said the cinema industry is as important to the government as the IT and pharma sectors, according to official sources.
The CM said a cabinet sub-committee would be appointed to address the problems of the film industry and suggested the film fraternity also to form a panel to take up relevant issues.
He said the government would take steps to attract the makers of English (Hollywood) and Hindi movies to Hyderabad.
The government is considering organising a major convention to encourage other film industries to come to the city, he said.
"Our intention is to take the (Telugu) industry to the next level," the sources quoted him as saying.
Revanth Reddy also said it is his responsibility as chief minister to implement the rule of law.
He also pointed out that the film industry should remember its social responsibility and join the efforts to check drugs and other societal problems.
Leading film producer and Telangana Film Development Corporation (FDC) Chairman Venkata Ramana Reddy, popularly known as Dil Raju, said besides Telugu movies, shootings of other languages, including Bollywood, Tamil and Kannada, are also taking place in Hyderabad.
"So, the view of the CM is that the film industry should give suggestions to government to see that, not just Indian films but Hollywood films are also shot in Hyderabad," he said.
The CM sought feedback on what can be done to make Hollywood film makers to have their shootings in Hyderabad, Dil Raju said.
The film industry would make suggestions in this regard, he said.
"Industry and government would take steps to make Hyderabad an international hub for cinema industry," he added.
Asked for the government's stance on allowing benefit shows and hiking ticket prices on special occasions, Dil Raju said they are only a 'small part' of the issue and that the bigger vision is how to take Telugu cinema to the international level and to make Hyderabad an 'international hub'.
"Time would throw light on all that," he said.
