Sandalwood cheers film city plan in Mysuru

MYSURU: Mysureans from the film industry and otherwise have welcomed the setting up of a film city in their neighbourhood, having won the battle against Bengaluru and Ramanagara. The project was cleared recently by CM HD Kumaraswamy following an appeal from his predecessor and Congress leader Siddaramaiah.
The proposal, initially mooted by the previous Congress government led by Siddaramaiah, had been languishing after his successor Kumarswamy decided to shift the location from Mysuru to Ramanagara, his erstwhile home constituency. But he heeded an appeal from Siddaramaiah not to shift the project at a recent programme organised to pay tribute to actor MH Ambareesh.

Mysuru and its surrounding districts, with their picturesque locales, forts, palaces and water falls are dream destinations for every filmmaker, say sources. The Kannada film industry is now hoping that the film city project at Himmavu, near Nanjangud, takes off with renewed vigour and will. The area falls under Varuna constituency, represented by Siddaramaiah’s son Dr Yathindra.

The proposed film city will be constructed by a private company in association with Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy (KLA). The land has been granted for a 30-year lease and on the request of KCA. “The Mysuru film city will not only save time but also a lot of money,” said Nagathihalli Chandrashekar, chairman of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy. He said another proposal to set up a film university in Ramanagara will also go a long way in developing the industry and enhancing the quality of Kannada films.