This Article is From Mar 08, 2012

Bollywood rallies behind Ghai in Whistling Woods case

Bollywood rallies behind Ghai in Whistling Woods case

Highlights

  • The Film and Television Producers Guild of India has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to "support" Subhash Ghai's Whistling Woods International in the wake of the Bombay High Court's directive to the filmmaker to hand over the land alloted to the institute in Filmcity.
  • The Guild, an autonomous non-profit film trade body comprising industry stakeholders, said the film institute was needed to create the world-class pool of talent and to improve quality of professionals.
  • Last month, the high court held the joint venture agreement dated May 30, 2000, signed between Ghai's Mukta Arts and Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation (MFSCDC) as "illegal, arbitrary and without authority of law".
  • In a scathing indictment of Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, the court held him responsible for "misusing his official position", when he was chief minister, to hand over 20 acres of land to Ghai for the institute at subsidised rates.
  • In a letter sent on March 5 to the chief minister, the Guild expressed its concern to sustain and strengthen Whistling Woods International (WWI) campus which it said was a significant part of entertainment industry as today and its contribution is invaluable.
  • "It is well known to everyone in the film industry that Whistling Woods has played a significant role in the media and entertainment industry as we strongly believe that India needs such world class institutes in the country to train and improve the quality of the industry professionals in order to raise the standards of cinema and other entertainment mediums," the letter said.
Mumbai: The Film and Television ProducersGuild of India has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister PrithvirajChavan to "support" Subhash Ghai's Whistling WoodsInternational in the wake of the Bombay High Court's directiveto the filmmaker to hand over the land alloted to theinstitute in Filmcity.

The Guild, an autonomous non-profit film trade bodycomprising industry stakeholders, said the film institute wasneeded to create the world-class pool of talent and to improvequality of professionals.

Last month, the high court held the joint ventureagreement dated May 30, 2000, signed between Ghai's Mukta Artsand Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural DevelopmentCorporation (MFSCDC) as "illegal, arbitrary and withoutauthority of law".

In a scathing indictment of Union minister VilasraoDeshmukh, the court held him responsible for "misusing hisofficial position", when he was chief minister, to hand over20 acres of land to Ghai for the institute at subsidisedrates.

In a letter sent on March 5 to the chief minister, theGuild expressed its concern to sustain and strengthenWhistling Woods International (WWI) campus which it said wasa significant part of entertainment industry as today and itscontribution is invaluable.

"It is well known to everyone in the film industry thatWhistling Woods has played a significant role in the media andentertainment industry as we strongly believe that India needssuch world class institutes in the country to train andimprove the quality of the industry professionals in order toraise the standards of cinema and other entertainmentmediums," the letter said.
.