For the first time, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s Film Facilitation Office (FFO) has collaborated with the Ministry of Railways to create a single-window mechanism for shooting films on trains. The website is designed to make the process of getting permission to film across railroad premises more efficient.
Mr. Rajiv Jain, additional director general (ADG) of PR of Railway, said that a number of films have been filmed at the railway and its cinematic locations through the years. Prior to this release, international and Indian film-makers had to obtain permission for filming from the Chief Public Relations Officers (CPROs) assigned to the railway zones. According to him, ‘this new arrangement would make it easier for film producers and makers to get permission’.
The FFO facilitates the process in conjunction with the railway officials once the filmmakers or producers upload their application to www.ffo.org.in to seek permission for shooting. Several sites with splendid natural and cinematic beauty lie within the country’s 12 railway zones. Film-makers choose to film in these areas first.
FFO will upload the permission within the shortest possible timeframe. In response to a question about the purpose of such a first step, he explained that integration with FFO of Indian Railway aims to reduce the number of windows film producers need to access to obtain permission for filming in various eye-catching natural locations of railways.
According to Apurva Chandra, secretary of I&B, the idea is to create a positive experience for filming by easing the process across various jurisdictions, such as railways, which offer unique, distinctive locations for movie productions. In the future, the FFO will accept applications for permissions to shoot feature films, websites and TV shows on behalf of railway companies, but for making documentary films, music videos, or AV commercial videos, one will have to contact the railways directly.
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