Chennai: Assuring students and staffs of the MGR Government Film and Television Institute in the city, the Information Minister, Parithi Illamvazhuthi said that the government had no plans to sell the land belonging to the institute, but it was keen on providing better facilities and upgrading the institute.
Speaking at the inauguration of its golden jubilee celebrations, he assured to take up the issue of procuring more equipment to the Institute with Chief Minister. He also assured to request the state premier to revive the acting courses.
Due to the fact that the Tamil Nadu government showed great interest in the film industry, the noted film producer AVM Saravanan said that south Indian technicians, be it cameramen or sound recorders, were better than their counterparts from Mumbai. He was delighted to be part of the golden jubilee celebration and was a kind of a milestone.
As part of the golden jubilee celebrations, actors including Kamal Hassan and Rajinikanth would be invited to participate in a seminar.
The staff made an earnest plea that land belonging to the institute should not be given to private companies. Already about 2/3 of the land had been given away to various private parties and enough space wasn’t available for students to shoot, he said.
Director, Department of Information and Public Relations C. Kamaraj said that the institute had produced actors including Raghuvaran, Nasser, Archana; and sound engineers including Manikandan of Om Shanthi Om fame, Nivas and Rameshkumar.