Make regional laguage title must for getting subsidy:Committee

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam movies with English titles may not get subsidies, if state government approves a recommendation of an expert committee.The committee, headed by eminent filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, has recommended Kerala government to make titles in the mother tongue mandatory for getting subsidies. The committee, set up to study the problems faced by the industry and provide suggestions to revamp the movie sector, also suggested not to provide government subsidies to movies having English titles. According to the committee, comprising ace director Shaji N Karun, producer Suresh Kumar and former minister Pandalam Sudhakaran, said it had become a "fashion" among many film makers to opt for English rather than Malayalam while naming their movies. The trend would affect the prestigious status of Malayalam, which had been awarded classical language status recently and create an aversion among youth about the mother tongue, it observed. Sudhakaran said an immediate action was necessary to stop such trend to uphold the pride of Malayalam. "Cinema is one of the most influential media among people especially among youngsters. Everything, right from the titles to story and dialogues, will have an impact on audience," Sudhakaran said. Majority of the about 80 movies released in the last six months, including some blockbusters, had English titles, he said. In some states, including Tamil Nadu, it was mandatory to have titles in their regional language to get subsidy, he said. He said the committee also suggested to enhance the subsidies for quality movies, which receive recognition at the state, national and international levels. The committee would submit the report to government in the next two weeks, Sudhakaran said.