Justice delayed is justice denied, they say. But delayed honour, too, is similar to denying it. It is doubly so for the film industry, where box office success alone can’t keep the artistes happy. Awards, when given by the government, are considered as a big recognition. But Tamilnadu, which had seen Chief Ministers from the cinema industry for the past five decades (C N Annadurai, M Karunanidhi, M G Ramachandran, V N Janaki and J Jayalalithaa), has not been honouring film artistes for many years, especially after 2011.
In a ray of hope, speaking at an event to inaugurate the MGR Centenary Studio constructed by the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) at Payyanur near Chennai on Sunday, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has said film awards that were due would be given away soon. This should not vanish as a mere announcement and the government should take steps to hold the award function(s) at the earliest, as it is a long-pending issue.
Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, known for its various investor-friendly initiatives, recently announced incentives for the film industry as well. Even as this is expected to attract investments from the cinema industry to that State, Palaniswami, speaking at the Sunday event, said the number of film studios in Tamilnadu was on the decline and the film fraternity should come forward to set up more facilities as it would boost employment. He also said commercial and residential campuses were coming up in places that once housed studios. “To arrest this trend, more studios should be opened not only in various parts of Chennai but also in various places across Tamilnadu for creating more employment opportunities.” Good that the government is waking up at least now. But proactive policies are the need of the hour.