Bhopal: Chief minister discusses portrayal of women empowerment in cinema with filmmaker Shweta Rai

Bhopal/Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday met with Hollywood filmmaker Shweta Rai and talked about the need for women-empowerment related themes in cinema.

During the discussion with Rai, he said that in Madhya Pradesh, filmmakers from India and abroad, both will be fully supported for the production of meaningful films. Be it feature a film or documentary, if the theme of the film centers around women empowerment or other social utility topics, then the state government will give full encouragement for that via tax exemption facility.

The Chief Minister further stated that the empowerment of female characters has always been given importance in films and that presently women in society have achieved so much by showing their capable leadership and efficiency.

Presenting an example of the capable women in our country, he said that during the recent coronavirus period, self-help groups of women from Madhya Pradesh played an important role in protecting a large population from getting infected with the virus, by undertaking the manufacturing of face masks and sanitisers. Themes similar to this can be used as the basis of feature and documentary films.

Shweta told Chouhan that she has produced a film featuring 10 prominent women at the centre, which included World Health Organisation (WHO) Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan and woman pilot Swati Rawal, who is known for operating rescue flight to bring back the stranded Indians home during the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Chouhan lauded this effort of the filmmaker and said that Principal Secretary, culture, S Shukla has been entrusted with the responsibility of providing necessary support to the filmmakers in the state.

Shweta, who is a director and writer associated with Hollywood film production, belongs to Kymore in Madhya Pradesh's Katni district. Her father, Prof Surendra Kumander Rai, and mother Anita Rai were present on the occasion along with the former state minister Sanjay Pathak.