Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Retd), inaugurated the India Pavilion at Cannes Films Festival in France. Hon’ble Minister said, “New Government at the Centre is certainly more decisive and focused and is constantly working towards taking India to higher levels of growth which is inclusive. The government is channelizing that objective through campaigns like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Skill India’ and realizes that the film industry is an important part of these campaigns given its tremendous potential towards job creation”.

Adding to that the Minister said that, “Even though steps may seem slow but they are certainly for sure. India has already signed coproduction agreements with a slew of countries. In the last one year five co-productions have been undertaken with France alone. We need to take these partnerships to the next level now”.

The session was attended by luminaries such as Dr. Mohan Kumar, Ambassador of India to France, Mr. Bobby Bedi, Film Maker, Ms. Nandita Das, Actor/Film Maker, Mr. Roshan Baig,  Minister of Information and Public Relations, Government of Karnataka, Mr. K. Sanjay Murthy, Joint Secretary, Films, Ministry of I&B, Govt. of India and Mr. Ravi  Kottarakara, Former President, Film Federation of India.

Ms. Nandita Das, Actor/Film maker said that she would like to raise the issue of censorship in India. As we mature, it is important to promote freedom of expression rather than curtailing voices. Mr. Roshan Baig, Minister of Information and Public Relations, Government of Karnataka suggested that it will be really great if the regional film industry is showcased as a part of the delegations to some of the major international film festivals.