Bengaluru: The story (plot) of Film City that began in Mysuru in 2017 during the reign of Siddharamaiah and that saw a sort of an interval in Ramanagara during the rule of H.D. Kumaraswamy in 2018 is climaxing in Bengaluru in 2020 during the present Government headed by B.S. Yediyurappa. 

The Yediyurappa Government has finally decided to set up Film City on the outskirts of Bengaluru and it will be of global standards. “We have identified the site for the Film City and it will be made public after a discussion with the Chief Minister,” said Deputy CM Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan. 

He said the Government intends to build a Film City that is a cut above others in the world. “It will have all the facilities required to produce a film, including an animation centre,” he said. In fact, when the Film City proposal was floated before 2017, it was decided to set it up at Hessarghatta, off Bengaluru.  

The Film City was sanctioned to Himmavu in Varuna Constituency when Siddharamaiah (Congress) was the CM and then when H.D. Kumaraswamy (JD-S-Congress) was the CM, the Film City was proposed to be built at Ramanagara.  After Yediyurappa took over as CM, he had proposed to build the Film City inside the Roerich and Devika Rani Estate at Tataguni in Bengaluru. 

Siddu’s dream project

It was a dream project of Siddharamaiah to set up the Film City in Mysuru, his hometown. He even went ahead and identified 100 acres of land at Himmavu village, which falls under his old Constituency of Varuna, now represented by his son Dr. Yathindra Siddharamaiah.

Now, the Government has also dropped the proposal to set up the facility at the Devika Rani Roerich Estate, a massive lung space off Kanakapura Road as this was widely opposed by many, including environmentalists, who argued that this could destroy the rich biodiversity in the area. The 468.33 acres of Tataguni Estate was once owned by artist Svetoslav Roerich and his actress wife Devika Rani. Now it is with the State Government. 

Known for animation films

Asked why the Film City is not being built either in Mysuru or Ramanagara as announced by the two previous Governments led by Kumaraswamy and Siddharamaiah, Dr. Ashwath Narayan said Bengaluru is “known for its talent in animation films. Animation works of films like Avatar and Lion King were done in Bengaluru. Keeping this in mind, we decided to build the Film City in Bengaluru,” he said.

“We have a Film City in Noida, Hyderabad, Gurgaon and other places. We will study these places and come up with better ideas,” he added. Stating that Roerich and Devika Rani Estate was a place for cinema, art, culture and spiritualism, the Deputy CM said it has been decided to establish an art and craft village there with an intention to develop the Estate as a famous cultural centre. “It will be one which the entire country will be proud of,” he said.