‘Nobody Can Take Bollywood Out Of Mumbai,’ Maharashtra Leaders Attack Yogi Adityanath Over UP Film City Bid

Amid the ongoing politics over the issue, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said it is not easy to shift Mumbai's film city to another place.

(PTI Photo)

Maharashtra: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath found himself at the centre of criticism by leaders of Maharashtra over his UP Film City bid, ahead of his meeting with film personalities in Mumbai.  Leaders of the Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP, of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government have, in one voice, alleged the Uttar Pradesh CM of attempting to take away ‘a slice of Bollywood’ to the northern state of India. The defensiveness of the state leaders regarding the film industry which accounts for all the glitz and glamour of India’s financial capital was evident as they unanimously targeted the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister who is trying to set up another film city in northern part of the country. Amid the ongoing politics over the issue, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said it is not easy to shift Mumbai's film city to another place. “The film industry in south India is also big, there're film cities in West Bengal & Punjab too. Will Yogi Ji also visit these places & talk to directors/artists there or is he going to do so only in Mumbai?” Raut said. The Congress has also alleged a conspiracy to shift Bollywood to the northern state whereas the BJP said nobody can take the Film City and its glamour away from the Maharashtra capital. Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam in a terse message said that nobody can take Bollywood anywhere, nor is it an affront to the patronage of any government or political party. “Cinema lovers have settled this vast world with their hard work and this internal process has been going on for hundred years. The leaders should not be in the disposition to shift or save it,” he said.

बॉलीवुड को कोई कहीं नहीं ले जा सकता। और ना ही यह किसी सरकार या राजनीतिक पार्टी के संरक्षण की मोहताज है। सिनेमा के दीवानों ने अपनी मेहनत से इस विराट दुनिया को बसाया है और यह इंटरनल प्रक्रिया सौ वर्षों से जारी है। नेता लोग इसे शिफ्ट करने या बचाने के मुगालते में ना रहें।#Bollywood

— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) December 2, 2020

Earlier, Senior Congress leader and Maharashtra PWD Minister Ashok Chavan alleged the BJP was scheming to take away a "slice of Bollywood" to the northern state. "When BJP was in power in Maharashtra, many industries and offices were shifted to Gujarat. Though the government changed in Maharashtra, the BJP is now readying a script to take away a slice of Bollywood in the name of the Uttar Pradesh government. "Whatever had happened in the tenure of the BJP, we won't let it happen again," Chavan tweeted. UP Minister Mohsin Raza says Bollywood under pressure from underworld 'Bollywood is under pressure from underworld, that's why they are against relocating to Uttar Pradesh,' UP Minister Mohsin Raza has said, amid the ongoing political backlash against BJP over new film city in the state. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil had said ahead of Yogi's arrival in Maharashtra that 'Yogiji may be coming here to study the film city and facilities being provided to the industry, but nobody can take the film city and its glamour away from Mumbai.' The BJP leader also said every state has the right to develop or provide some facilities to the film industry. "They are free to do so," he added.