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The deadline for the applications were extended at least four times till March 31, 2023.
According to the report, the government officials are scheduled to meet in Lucknow on April 4, 2023, to discuss the issue and come up with a solution to give a financial thrust to its ambitious project.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has also been meeting several members of the film fraternity in Mumbai.
"The lack of response was a cause for concern because the government had relaxed several norms in the second round of tenders to make the business proposition more feasible for the investors," stated the TOI report, citing officials.
On multiple occasions, the UP government tried reaching out to investors, however, it turned out to be no use. The first global tender was launched in November 2021. A company had applied post the extension of the deadline for the third time. In July 2022, the application was cancelled as the number of applications remained below the minimum standard criteria.
The government, subsequently, revised the project report and relaxed conditions after taking suggestions from investors and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). A fresh global tender was issued last October, with the government offering to increase the concession period from 40 to 60 years and allowing new entities like OTT platforms and VFX studios to set up offices. The deadline was extended from December 16 to March 31.
The report also stated that an international film studio was planning to invest but has not submitted the request as of now. At least three members from the film fraternity are believed to have shown interest in the Rs 10,000-crore project.
Officials said the government was now planning to allot land to a company to build the Film City on 1,000 acres that the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) had set aside for the project.
According to the report, nearly 250 acres were demanded by a filmmaker KC Bokadia in the first phase. Attributing the sources, TOI report claimed that Indian actor Rajpal Yadav is likely to work on 100 acres.
"According to Arun Vir Singh, the YEIDA CEO, officials were in talks with the family of actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth, but there was no concrete development in that regard. A local film producer, he said, had also shown interest in the Film City. Among these proposals, Bokadia's offer has made some headway. The filmmaker has offered to start work within 90 days of being allotted the land. He has also assured that the project will be ready in a year, failing which he will pay a fine of Rs 10 lakh a day," the report said.
It will be interesting to see what solution does the UP government come up with after the meeting on April 4, 2023.
(With inputs from TOI)
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