Focus

The NFDC’s cup of woes

It’s been a headless, directionless body for well nigh a decade now. As if to make matters worse, the beleaguered corporation has been riddled with accusations of fraud and corruption...

The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) was set up for the all-round development of the entire film industry. But the capital placed at its disposal was hardly enough to meet the requirements of the entire film industry. In order to augment the NFDC’s funds, the Government gave it authority to act as a canalising agency for the import of raw stock, import of foreign films and export of films, for which it was allowed to charge 2.5 per cent of the value as canalising fee.

In other words, it became yet another wing of a government department. From its track record, it is evident the NFDC has been failing in every sphere of its activity. In the field of export of Indian films, whichever offices it had set up abroad had to be shut down because it had no expertise in selling Indian films even in the traditional markets. In the field of import of foreign films, too, it failed miserably because of lack of expertise.

Similarly, the video division it started in Chennai was a miserable flop and led to heavy losses. It started lending money for the construction of cinemas with a certain amount of fanfare but this activity has also almost come to a standstill because of a wrong policy it adopted.

In the field of film production at least, the NFDC acquired reputation as its name was associated with the making of artistic films worthy of awards in India and abroad. But even this achievement has faded because none of the films it produced or financed have won any award in the last five years. In the globalisation policy, the NFDC lost its status as a canalising agency and as a result, an yearly income of Rs 1 crore by way of canalising fee is lost.

The Information and Broadcasting ministry has been neglecting the NFDC, like it has done in the case of the Films Division. The Government has not even appointed a board of directors for the last ten years with the result that the NFDC has become a headless body without any direction whatsoever.

Filmmakers who have benefited by the NFDC funding policy in the past and who believe that NFDC can play an important role in the field of production of artistic films speak out.

What can one expect from a headless body?
SHYAM BENEGAL
Shyam Benegal wondered how one could expect better results from a headless body.

"Unless the Government takes steps to constitute a board of directors, the NFDC’s performance is bound to deteriorate. An organisation has to have a policy and that policy is laid down by the board of directors. It is the executive head who implements the policy laid down by the board. Therefore, it is imperative to appoint a chairman and board of directors for the NFDC. I do not know why the Government is dragging its feet. That is why the morale at the NFDC is down, the staff is directionless and there is nobody who can motivate them. Therefore, there is no point in blaming it whether there is loss or gain."

Revive the NFDC at any cost
Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani, who had received loans from the NFDC for almost all his films, feels that every effort should be made to revive NFDC rather than close it down.

"The NFDC had a clear cut policy and an objective to develop cinema as an art form and to promote experiments in form and content. I think it still remains in the statute. The organisation was created with a very commendable vision. But over the years, the parallel or artistic cinema has been labelled as boring and considered to be a waste of public funds. This notion has led to withering away from the main objectives of the NFDC.

Today, the box-office has become the sole consideration. However, one should not lose sight of the original vision. The NFDC films have put India on the international map. There is a demand for aritistic and experimental films all over the world with so many television stations and the internet opening up, apart from the art and university circuits. All that is required is to revive the NFDC and make every possible effort to bring dynamism in its functioning. Its board members must consist of people who have an artistic bend of mind and are able to lay down a dynamic policy of encouraging artistic films without considering immediate gains. There is no need for the NFDC to think about the profit motive in the manner the commerical cinema thinks. If the NFDC has to play its role as a developmental body, it should confine itself to the promoting of good films without any commercial slant. Leave it to the commerical cinema to think in terms of profit motives. The NFDC should stick to the making of artistic films since it has established an identity as a supporter and maker of such films. There is a demand for such films. Their marketing is a weak point but if this aspect is properly handled,there will be no problem in selling artistic films in the international market.

Profits shouldn’t be the movite
Kumar Shahani
Kumar Shahani, said that the NFDC was set up with development as motive and it should continue to function as such and develop the qualitative aspect of filmmaking without taking into account the profit motive.

"It takes time to understand a work of art, and profits from the box-office should not be the objective of the NFDC. It is imperative to have a board of directors that believe in restoring the quality of films, art and education. Indeed, the NFDC deserves the government’s support," he concluded.

MSM Desai