Om Puri takes charge of National Film Development Corporation

Om Puri takes charge of National Film Development Corporation
Thursday, April 24, 2008 12:22 IST
By Santa Banta News Network
The beleaguered National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), India's state-run film financing body, finally has a chairman in celebrated actor Om Puri after industry veteran Manmohan Shetty resigned from the post about a year ago.

Puri took over the charge Wednesday morning and vowed to resuscitate the body.

Once renowned for spearheading the New Wave cinema in India, a movement of which Puri himself was a part during his early career, the NFDC has lately degenerated into being an ineffectual body.

In the changing dynamics of the film industry today, some corporate entities have begun to substitute what NFDC had set out to do, leaving this autonomous organization high and dry. The NFDC has not yet clearly defined its objectives in keeping with the changing times.

If the successive chairpersons of the body failed to translate their visions into action, it was partly because of lack of resources and partly due to confusion over the government's film policy.

Lately, purely due to commercial reasons, the NFDC has sought joint ventures with Bollywood and outside producers. But, as it has no distribution network, many of these movies still remain in the cans.

Addressing the media after taking charge, Puri hoped the movies financed or co-financed by NFDC would have stars to make them saleable in the market.

Puri said if a star accepts one-third of his regular remuneration for an NFDC movie and defers the remaining payment till the movie generates enough money at the box-office, the corporation would be game for such 'joint ventures'.

But he did not elaborate, saying he would not involve himself in the day-to-day activities of the organization.
Ramayana Movie Teaser: Ranbir Kapoor vs Yash Set for Epic Showdown in Cinematic Spectacle!

The cinematic landscape of Indian mythology is set for a revolutionary transformation as acclaimed director

Monday, July 14, 2025
Param Sundari: Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor's Romantic Comedy Set for August Release!

Get ready for one of Bollywood’s most anticipated love stories of the year! Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi

Monday, July 14, 2025
Sunny Deol Wraps Border 2 Shoot: A Patriotic Powerhouse Returns With Major Kuldeep Singh!

Sunny Deol has officially wrapped filming for the highly anticipated Border 2, the spiritual successor to

Monday, July 14, 2025
Allu Arjun Set to Play Four Roles in Atlee's Grand Spectacle AA22 X A6: A Game-Changer in Indian Cinema!

Allu Arjun, the reigning superstar of Telugu cinema, is about to embark on the most ambitious project of his

Monday, July 14, 2025
Rajkummar Rao recalls drawing inspiration from these legends!

One of the most promising actors of this generation, Rajkummar Rao sits down for one of his most revealing

Monday, July 14, 2025