Meghalaya to promote tourism through Bollywood

Shillong, May 26: After Switzerland sold its tourism through Bollywood movies, Shillong, the 'Scotland of the East' has decided to sell its pristine natural beauty to the world through the forthcoming Hindi film 'Har Pal' (Every Moment).

''We are luring producers from the largest film industry in the world to shoot their movies here and thus help the state promote tourism,'' Meghalaya Tourism Minister Charles Pyngrope said.

Mr Pyngrope said the government identified some of the major requirements for film shooting and sought suggestions from the film industry for building up requisite infrastructure.

The minister said Meghalaya had beautiful locations but lack adequate infrastructure. The government welcomes the film industries, including Bollywood, Tollywood (Kolkata) and Dhaka and we are all out to sell Meghalaya's landscape, the minister he added.

Noted filmmaker Jahnu Barua, who would shoot his forthcoming Hindi film 'Har Pal' in the 'pine city' said, ''I have always loved Shillong and wanted to work here.'' ''Considering the script of 'Har Pal', Shillong will be the best location for a major part of the film. I am sure that the Shillong sequence will be a memorable one,'' the renowned filmmaker from Eastern India said.

The movie would feature Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Shiney Ahuja in lead roles, Mr Barua added.

Mr Barua rose to fame recently with his last venture 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara', featuring Anupam Kher and Urmila Matondkar.

He said filmmaking had always been a part of the tourism industry. But the North East, despite having plenty of resources to provide the best of the locations for Bollywood films, failed to involve the film industry in promoting tourism in the region.

''We should follow the foreign nations which send representatives to India, the largest producer of films in the world, to lure the filmmakers to shoot movies in their countries,'' he stated.

If film shooting began to take place in the NE, with huge audience of Hindi movies in the country and abroad, it will be a boost for the tourism sector of the region,'' Mr Barua observed.

He, however, pointed out that the region lacked infrastructure facilities like proper roads to the film locations and first class accommodations for the actors.

UNI