The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Film on Ambedkar to be screened

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Monday, Oct 29, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Film on Ambedkar to be screened

Special Correspondent

Initially, it will be shown to PSU employees in Vizag to raise funds

VISAKHAPATNAM: A film on Babasaheb Ambedkar, which ran successfully in East Godavari district, will be screened in city cinema halls from the second week of November.

Informing this to media persons here on Sunday, former Mayor of Rajahmundry, M. Chakravarthy, said matinee idol from Kerala, Mamooty was in the lead role as Ambedkar in the film produced jointly by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and the Government of Maharashtra, and presented by NFDC.

“It is a big budget film with as much as Rs.13 crores spent for its production. Mamooty has excelled in the role as Ambedkar whose life was portrayed highlighting the finer moments. The film was already released in the US, UK and Canada and did business worth about Rs.200 crores,” he disclosed.

The screening of the film would begin on November 1 on the occasion of AP Formation Day at HPCL and also at other public sector undertakings like Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, BHPV, Vizag Port and Naval Dockyard to raise funds.

The fund would be utilised to pay the guarantee money for screening in a couple of local cinema halls after November 10.

“We are planning this after our initial experience in Rajahmundry where the attendance was poor due to lack of public awareness. It will be easier to continue the show for the benefit of the public with the guarantee money, though, the film is exempted from tax,” he said.

Distributor for the film in Andhra Pradesh, Sunil, said that the film was technically superb with Mamooty, Jabbar Patel, Bhanu Ataya bagging the best actor, best director and best costume designer awards at the national level.

The film was dubbed in 13 languages and the dialogues in Telugu were written by Ghantasala Ratnakumar, he said.

Replying to questions, he said that the film could not be released simultaneously all over the State because only three prints were made available.

After the East Godavari experiment, it was decided to move to either Guntur or Visakhapatnam.

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