Bollywood producers have been thronging the offices of various entertainment bodies like Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA), Producers Guild of India and Indian Film TV Producers Council (IFTPC) in Mumbai in a bid to register titles relating to the recent abrogation of Article 370 by the BJP government.
A report in Mumbai Mirror says that over 50 titles have already been registered by producers since Monday, when the government announced its decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and split it into two Union Territories.
Some of the titles registered by the association include Article 370, Article 35 A, Kashmir Mein Tiranga, Kashmir Hamara Hai and Dhara 370, besides several others.
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Although the report didn’t mention the names of the production companies that have sought to register these titles, filmmakers such as Anand Pandit and Vijay Gelani have booked some of these names.
Given the recent success of nationalistic dramas such as Uri: A Surgical Strike, Bollywood’s move to cash in on popular sentiment isn’t surprising.
Even after the Balakot strikes early this year, producers had rushed to register “patriotic” titles.
Pulwama, Surgical Strike 2.0, Balakot were just some of the titles that were promptly registered. Vikram Malhotra-led Abundantia Entertainment also booked How’s The Josh, a popular dialogue from Uri, as a title for a potential film.
“Films on such subjects pique the audience’s curiosity,” a trade analyst was quoted as saying.
To register a title, all a production house needs to do is fill a simple form, with 4-5 alternative titles in order of preference, and pay Rs 250, along with 18% GST. Often, those registering a certain title don’t even intend to go through with a film/web-series or a TV show. They register it so they can sell it off to a studio or a major producer who might have the financial infrastructure to actually make the film.