BANGALORE: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said on Monday that his Government was keen on bringing in legislation to curb film piracy on the lines of those in some States.

Inaugurating the Pyramid Digital Theatre Chain in the State, he said the Government was serious about the issue. Responding to demands from film fraternity for a stringent legislation to curb piracy, Mr. Kumaraswamy said no one had approached him in this regard.Regretting that violence-based cinemas were ruling the scene, Mr. Kumaraswamy said violence in films were provoking crimes in society.

Mr. Kumaraswamy who is also into film production, said he would begin a novel-based Kannada film in November. "Whatever workload I have, I would take up the production," he said.

Earlier, members of Karnataka Film Workers' Union President Ashok, Parvathamma Rajkumar and others expressed anguish over the display banner in English.

Seeks apology

They said Kannada should have dominated the announcements. Mr. Kumaraswamy asked the managing director of Pyramid Saimira Theatre Ltd., P.S. Saminathan to apologise. Mr. Saminathan apologised in his broken Kannada paving way for the inaugural function.

Earlier, addressing presspersons, Mr. Saminathan said the company had planned to open 200 digital screens in the State by December-end.

"All these theatres will be digital theatres and any new Kannada film released in Bangalore can be screened even in remote villages on the same day," he said.

Investment

Pointing out that this would also help in checking piracy, Mr Saminathan said the company would invest Rs 40 crore in the project.

"These theatres will have a two-way broadband connectivity for a satellite broadcast of films. These facilities will be provided free of cost to the State Government and socially oriented projects," he said.

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