RSS plans Indore film festival to promote nationalism, ‘family ethos’

The event, first of its kind by the RSS, comes at a time when several artists and Bollywood actors have triggered a row by targeting the government for what they believe is a rise in intolerance after BJP’s return to power

Office bearers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are preparing to host a film festival at Indore in Madhya Pradesh to promote “family ethos” and “nationalism”.

Chitrabharti Film Festival’ has been scheduled for February 26-28 and will be inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. (Image courtesy:www.chitrabharatifilmfest.com)

The event, first of its kind by the RSS, comes at a time when several artists and Bollywood actors have triggered a row by targeting the government for what they believe is a rise in intolerance after BJP’s return to power.

‘Chitrabharti Film Festival’ has been scheduled for February 26-28 and will be inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.

While the celebrity quotient will be met by the presence of actors like Anupam Kher, who was at the forefront of defending the NDA government when it faced criticism from intellectuals post Dadri incident and directors including Chandraprakash Dwivedi, best known for his teleseries Chanakya ; political heavy weights, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and minister for state for information and broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Rathore are also expected.

“Film is a powerful medium to communicate. We want to promote family values, cultural nationalism and similar subject. We have taken this maiden initiative and we intend to make it an annual affair,” said Dr Praveen Kabra, RSS’s publicity in-charge for Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. He is also the director of the film festival.

Kabra refused to speak about the “intolerance controversy” and said the objective of the film festival was limited to promoting socio-cultural issues, environment, family ethos and moral values.

“We do not want to get into that (intolerance) debate,” he said. Organisers say there were several young actors, directors, producers and so on who have been working for these objective but failed to get a platform to promote their work. “We want to provide them such a platform where their work is recognized and they are encouraged,” Kabra said.