‘Filmmakers to pay more for shooting scenes at Dharamshala’
By Shri Puri | Times of India | 24 Dec 2019.
DHARAMSHALA: Shooting movie scenes at Buddhist temple at Mcleodganj (famously known as Dalai Lama temple), international cricket stadium and other landmark sites of this hill destination will be costlier from now on. Municipal Corporation has come up with the fee scheduled to be charged from the filmmakers coming to this hill town.
The civic body is aiming revenue from scenic spots. The fee varies for films, documentaries, album songs and television serials.
Inquiries revealed that fee ranges from Rs 5,000 to 10,000 rupees per day. The areas marked are Dal Lake, Naddi, Dharamkot, Bhagsu waterfall, war memorial, cricket stadium, Buddhist monastery near Dalai Lama residence, St. John Church, Norbulingka Monastery and Indrunag hilltop.
For above-mentioned spots for films the fee is mostly 10000 rupees per day. While for movies, documentaries, music albums and serials it is 5,000 only. In the rest of the area a general fee of Rs 5,000 has been fixed.
Devender Jaggi, Mayor of the Corporation, said the civic body needs to have its own sources for the revenue to meet the expenses of salaries and maintain this hill destination, therefore, this step has been taken.
“We have to pay off salaries and other expenses. This step generally aims revenue and facilitation to the people coming to this hill town with their projects in the entertainment industry” he said.
As per the officials, the corporation is further planning the ways to assist the filmmakers in a better way to increase their footfall to this place.
Dharamshala has appeared on the global map due to exile seat of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama and cricket stadium of the Himachal Pradesh cricket association.
There are many famous movies which were shot at this place. Due to the presence of the Tibetans here, many foreign films and documentaries were made on Dharamshala.
In general practice, the filmmakers have to seek permissions for shooting at various places of this region. Corporation has passed this proposal of charging a fee in recently held general house.
