KATHMANDU: The 20th IIFA Award ceremony is going to be held in Kathmandu. The IIFA Awards are a set of awards presented every year by the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) to honor both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood, the Hindi language film industry.
The award was instituted in 2000 and its award ceremony is held in different countries around the world every year. The incumbent government of Nepal in its cabinet meeting last Thursday took the decision to spend Rs 44 crore to organize the IIFA award ceremony. The government argues that the IIFA award ceremony will promote tourism in Nepal and is essential for the government to organize such a ceremony.
However, Nepali film artists are critical of the decision to spend the money for Bollywood award ceremony by the government of Nepal as indigenous film industry has not received even Rs 44 and here the government is spending Rs 44 crore with other facilities to be given to them for organizing the award ceremony and film shooting and all from the state’s treasury.
The government wants to promote Nepal tourism at the international forum. Therefore, international award ceremony particularly the Bollywood will help in highlighting different tourist destinations of Nepal to international media and to international filmmakers. The IIFA had sent a proposal to the Government of Nepal for incurring a total expenditure US $ 50, 00000 on the day to day food, lodging, and air tickets.
Deepak Raj Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), confirmed that it is almost more than certain that the IIFA award will be held in Kathmandu. According to a stray projection, the government will end up spending one billion rupees in organizing the IIFA award. How justified is this decision when the government has not been able to give away its own ‘National Film Awards’ for the last 3 years?
And the argument of the government that the IIFA award ceremony in Kathmandu will promote Nepal tourism at the global level is grossly misplaced and untenable, says the critique of the IIFA award. “Isn’t that the government at present has become the promoter of Bollywood films and working as their agent?” questions the critics pointing towards the decision taken by the government with regard to hosting the IIFA award.
Actor Nawal Khadaka writes in social network site, “This is really sad to see how the government of Nepal is misspending the hard-earned money collected through remittances sent by Nepalese workers toiling on foreign soils in daily temperature as high as 50 degree Celsius and the taxpayers’ money of Nepal working as farmers and laborers.”
Actor Khagendra Lamichhane also pulls up the government for giving go-ahead to the IIFA ceremony in Nepal. He is very straight in his reasoning when he argues that the money which government is spending on the IIFA award should have been diverted towards funding the education of poor children in Nepal. ”Besides, there are millions of work to be done within our own country which demands our attention, let us put our minds together and debate over them,” actor Khagendra vents his frustrations.
Nepali film Director Deepak Rauniyar questions the very authenticity of the IIFA award. He says that Indians do not give any value to awards given away by the Indian Film Academy and the award ceremony does not attract even Indian viewers/audiences. Rauniyar advocates further on his personal social site, “I disagree with Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board that the IIFA award stands amongst the topmost film performance appraisal awards in the world. What kind of promotion of Nepal tourism it is as if Indians do not know where Nepal is situated?”
Rauniyar does not stop here as he pinpointed bitter stinging expression targeting Hindi film Industry, “I do not understand why foreign language movies called ‘Hindi films’ should get so much space in Nepal. Hindi foreign films have no connection with the Nepalese language, religion, culture, and society. Our Nepalese culture is totally different from those of the Indians. It is shameful that the government is spending such a hefty amount of money to entertain these ‘foreigners’ on the soils of Nepal by organizing Indian Films Awards.”
He argued that the government must explain to the people why these ‘foreigners’ are so dear to present ruling establishment as to spend this much money in welcoming them here on our soil. “We demand facts and figures from the government to satisfy us why so many Indian filmmakers, actors, artists, and Indian foreign citizens are landing in Kathmandu to get special treatment for promoting ‘Hindi’ film in our country,” he complained.
Actor Anoop Baral is in favor of canceling the proposed expenditure on organizing Indian Film Awards in Kathmandu. He wants the government to divert that money towards establishing a top-class ‘Film Institute or Film School’ in Nepal. Nepali actor Deepak Raj Giri considers it a ‘joke’ when the government is organizing Indian Film Award on the soils of Nepal.
He says, “Indian artistes like Salman Khan and Kapil Sharma were forced to cancel their public appearances in Nepal due to lack of security. Now that the entire Bollywood’s who’s who are arriving in Kathmandu, how will the government arrange for their security?”
There are also supporters in Nepal particularly those who have been earning their livelihood due to the screening of Hindi films in Nepal. They are not as bitter and stinging as others who see Indian culture and Hindi Films as a threat to their business and the Nepali society.
Bhaskar Dhungana, a film distributor and owner of a cinema hall, is very considerate in his remarks: “It is indeed genuine efforts undertaken by Nepal Tourism Board aimed at stepping up the number of tourists from the southern neighbor, India.”
He rebuts the naysayers who see the promotion of ‘foreign culture’ by organizing a film award ceremony of our friendly country India, which shares Nepal’s borders from three sides with millions of people crossing the border for meeting necessities of their life.
Dhungana cautions them as hundreds of millions of rupees collected from film distributors and Nepali cinema lovers meant for promotion and distribution of Nepalese films were embezzled by the ‘Nepalese Film Board’ years ago. “We are yet to be compensated for our loss. Where were they who claim themselves ‘upholders of Nepalese culture’ and see threats in Indian artistes coming to Nepal as guests of the government then?”
He goes on the add: “Where is the notion of cultural exchange with our neighboring country? All of them are feeling red now because ‘Hindi and Indians’ — both are foreign in origin are now converging in the IIFA award hosted by NTB.”
Bhim Rawal, an influential leader of the ruling Nepal Communist Party and the member of the party Standing Committee, is displeased with the government’s decision to host the Bollywood film award ceremony. “I am taken aback by the government’s decision that has decided to spend a large amount of money for the purpose.” He has tweeted saying: “Who is instigating the government to do all this and whose interest is being served?”
The government has not spent even a penny till now on any program of the Nepalese films and its award giving ceremony. The National Film Board is also in slumber as the board has hardly done anything in the interest of Nepalese films. Nepali filmmakers are doing all that is required to sustain in Nepali film industry. Nepali filmmakers go to foreign countries for organizing their award ceremonies, promotional events, live stage programs, and others. The government of Nepal does not come forward to help them in any manner. However, the government is prepared to host the IIFA Award ceremony pushing the limited market of Nepali cinema goers towards Hindi films. Domestic market for Nepalese cinema will take another nosedive to starve all those who are dependent on it. The decision of the government to host the IIFA award has raged the national debate with its pros and cons on both sides.
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