Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari gets new ambulances, fire system and studio

Several public service and cultural initiatives were inaugurated at Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari under the Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation's "Seva Sankalp Abhiyan". The event was held in the presence of cultural affairs minister Adv. Ashish Shelar. Chitranagari is not just a filming location but the working ground of Maharashtra's art and culture, Shelar said, adding that the government is working to give artists more facilities, technicians new opportunities and the younger generation a modern platform.

The event was attended by Chitranagari managing director Swati Mhase-Patil, joint managing director Prashant Sajanikar, NGMA director Nidhi Chaudhary, and a large number of artists, technicians and singers from the film industry. Studio number one at Chitranagari was inaugurated by minister Shelar. He said quality infrastructure would give artists, producers and technicians more convenience for filming and production, and that the government aims to turn Chitranagari into a modern production hub.

Two new ambulances were provided by the organisation Doctors For You for the health and safety of artists, technicians and staff, in the presence of minister Shelar. With one ambulance already in service earlier, Chitranagari now has a total of three ambulances. A free bus service was also started for technicians, staff of production companies and related personnel.

A state-of-the-art fire fighting system has been commissioned to strengthen fire safety at Chitranagari. The system was built in three phases, with each phase getting a fire water storage tank of 1.5 million litre capacity and an independent fire pump system. This has strengthened fire safety for 15 studios, the administrative building, the helipad, the Khandala ghat area and the managing director's residential premises. Chitranagari has become the first government property of the Maharashtra government to obtain a final fire no-objection certificate. A new committee room was also inaugurated by minister Shelar on the occasion.

Minister Shelar said a reel competition and reel business workshop were organised to give the younger generation an opportunity to present art through digital media. He also noted that the music video "Shri Mahaganapati Stotra" and the "Abhang Repost" initiative had combined Maharashtra's devotional and musical traditions with modern media.

Minister Shelar also inaugurated a special photo exhibition, "Lens and Legacy: Bollywood's Visual Journey", organised jointly by the National Gallery of Modern Art and Chitranagari. The exhibition traces the history of Indian cinema through rare photographs, posters and old archival material. Speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, minister Shelar said the Prime Minister had called on people to take up "Seva Sankalp" instead of celebrating his birthday, and to work for society. He said various initiatives were being carried out accordingly for public service, employee welfare and the upliftment of the cultural sector, and appealed to citizens to cultivate a spirit of service and contribute to the nation's development and to the resolve for a developed India.