Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha has sought 100 acres of land in or around the Bihar capital for
setting up a film city on the lines of the Ramoji film city in Hyderabad.
BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha, popularly known as "Bihari Babu", has evinced interest in investing in Bihar
and setting up a huge film city, which would be the first of its kind in the state.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said the government has forwarded Sinha's proposal to the
state industrial promotion Board (SIPB). "Sinha's proposal will be studied by the SIPB, which will ask him to
formally present the project proposal," said Modi, a senior BJP leader considered close to Sinha.
Sinha, in his proposal submitted earlier this month, has sought 100 acres of land for setting up the film city,
said an official on the condition of anonymity.
"The government will have to search for such a big plot of land, because it may draw the ire of farmers and
the opposition," the official told.
Meanwhile, Sinha too confirmed his Bihar film city plans. His proposed film city will have latest TV and film
studios, state-of-the-art technical facilities including song recording, editing, animation, sound mixing. It will
also have a preview theatre and an acting school. He also plans a luxurious hotel to accommodate film stars
and crew.
Sinha, who hails from Patna, reportedly said that his proposed film city will check large-scale migration of
labourers to other states as it would provide employment to thousands of Biharis.
Earlier, filmmaker Prakash Jha had also expressed interest in investing in the development of Bihar.
Opposition leader Rabri Devi last week accused Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and state Janata Dal - United
chief Rajiv Ranjan of being involved in a scam related to allotment of plots to Jha.
She said that the chief minister, in connivance with Ranjan, had made available land to Jha at throwaway
prices for their personal benefit. Jha, who hails from a Bihar village, had campaigned for Nitish Kumar's JD-U
during the 2005 assembly polls.
Jha plans to set up multiplexes, ultra-modern medical colleges, hospitals and a four-lane highway in the
state.
Monday, July 17, 2006 17:23 IST