Single-window clearance for film shootings in Goa from Sep 1: Officials

Panaji | Goa, a favourite backdrop for Indian cinema since the 1960s, is set to make film shootings smoother with the launch of a single-window online clearance system from September 1, officials said.

From the sun-kissed beaches captured in the 1960s and 70s to the urban nostalgia of "Dil Chahta Hai" in the early 2000s, Goa has been more than just a tourist haven as it one of the most preferred film shooting destinations in the country.

Goa's colonial-era architecture, winding village roads, riversides and iconic beaches have featured in countless films - from "Bobby" and "Trishul" in the 1970s, to "Josh", "Dil Chahta Hai", "Dear Zindagi" in the 2000s, and even international productions.

Now, the state government is set to make life easier for filmmakers with the launch of a single-window clearance system for movie shoots through an online facilitation portal, the officials said.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Goa government's nodal agency - Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) - promises to streamline the permission process that filmmakers often found cumbersome, while reinforcing the state's position as a cinema-friendly location.

"We have already launched the film facilitation portal. It's an online facility where all permissions regarding film shootings in Goa can be applied for. Anybody interested in shooting in Goa can use this single-window system, which will be transparent," ESG vice chairperson Delilah Lobo told PTI Videos.

Until now, producers had to physically submit applications to the ESG, she noted.

"From September 1, this will be moved online. Anybody who wants to know more about this portal can visit our website www.esg.co.in," Lobo said.

This will help more filmmakers to choose Goa as their shooting destination, she added.

For the industry stakeholders who have navigated the maze of permissions for decades, the announcement is a long-awaited relief.

Line producer Dilip Borkar, who has facilitated the shooting of more than 700 films in Goa since starting his career with Amitabh Bachchan's "Agneepath" (1990), said the move would reduce the struggle of dealing with multiple departments.

"It's a very good initiative by our Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. We were talking about it for almost the last five years. Now, since they are going to begin it from September 1, it is a good news," Borkar said.

He recalled the ordeal producers often face.

"Normally, like suppose if you are shooting in Margao, you have to go to Margao to get it (permission); if it was in Canacona, then we had to get the NOC (no objection certificate) from the Canacona municipality, which takes almost three hours of travel. Definitely, it will make our efforts less now. I hope time will be saved and things will be better now," he said.

Borkar, whose team has worked on films like "Dil Chahta Hai", "Honeymoon Travels", "Finding Fanny" and several South Indian blockbusters, believes the single-window clearance could attract even more projects to the coastal state.

Other line producers like Akash Borkar, who has worked on Salman Khan's "Radhe", and other projects like "Gehraiyaan", "Farzi" and South superstar Jr NTR's "Devara", also said the portal will reduce red tape significantly.

"I am a line producer associated with ESG for the last 3-4 years now. So this initiative taken by the ESG for single-window clearance of all our permissions is very good and it will save our time," he said.

A line producer won't have to run to various departments to get the NOC from tourism, forest or other officials, Akash Borkar said.

"We're looking forward to their website being launched and getting a feel of it, using their GEST systems (the online software for event management)," he said.