India ready to help develop Nollywood – Envoy

The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb.
Ajjampur Ghanashyam, said on Sunday in Abuja that
India was ready to partner Nigeria to develop its film
industry.
Ghanashyam, who said this while featuring on the
News Agency of Nigeria forum, added that Nigeria’s
film industry had the potential to contribute more to the
nation’s economy.
“Nollywood may be relatively a recent phenomenon
compared with the Indian film industry but there is
scope for both of us to develop concepts from each
other,” he said.
He called for more training for the operators of
Nigeria’s film industry, adding that the Federal
Government should create an environment conducive for
proper funding of the industry.
Ghanashyam said such efforts could include making
access to loans for film makers easier.
“In our own case, the government made the Bollywood
industry to be an industry; they can raise a bank loan
for making a movie.
“Initially accessing loans was not possible for film
makers, they were dependent on anybody who was
willing to give them the money but that has changed,”
he said.
Ghanashyam said with good funding, the quality of
films would improve, a development, he said would
have a multiplier effect not only on the industry but the
entire economy.
“Indian Film Industry started in 1913. We had our
centenary about two years ago. We have made about
78,900 movies in 18 languages, that is why the Indian
film makers are called the dream merchants.
“Here make a movie with 20,000 to 50,000 dollars. You
can’t make a movie with less than 50 million dollars in
Hollywood,” the envoy told NAN.