Rajasthan govt’s Rs 100 crore sponsorship of movie awards questioned
The file to allot Rs 100 crore to sponsor a ‘movie awards’ occasion, the Opposition alleged within the meeting, moved at lightening pace and questioned what the state gained from the two-day occasion.
The Worldwide Indian Movie Academy Awards (IIFA), the annual occasion promoted and produced by occasion administration firm Wizcraft Worldwide Leisure Personal Restricted, was being hosted in India for less than the second time. Instituted in 2000, the ceremony has principally been held overseas barring in Mumbai in 2024. Organisers reportedly turned to India after struggling to safe sponsorship for internet hosting the occasion overseas.
The Rajasthan authorities, as the principle sponsor, agreed to allocate Rs 100 crore for the occasion at Jaipur, which, it claimed, would promote Rajasthan tourism as a part of a brand-building train. The occasion was nevertheless branded as “Sobha Realty and Nexa Present,” overshadowing Rajasthan authorities as the important thing sponsor.
The chief of the opposition within the Rajasthan Meeting Tikaram Jully raised the difficulty within the Vidhan Sabha and requested, “Did IIFA promote itself or Rajasthan? Golden passes price Rs Seven lakh in all, seven passes every priced at Rupees one lakh, got to the Rajasthan authorities for distribution; even ministers didn’t obtain these passes, go away alone the opposition… The occasion didn’t really feel like a promotion of Rajasthan. All banners and hoardings had been for IIFA. What did Rajasthan achieve from this?”
The deputy chief minister Diya Kumari, who additionally oversees the Finance, PWD, and Tourism & Tradition portfolios, took an energetic curiosity within the occasion and is alleged to have secured particular approvals and exemptions for the occasion. Whereas the Rajasthan Rising occasion in December, 2024 was stopped earlier than 10 PM, the IIFA occasion was allowed to proceed till 3:30 AM, violating current laws. The state authorities mobilised Rs 20 crore from the Rajasthan Industrial and Funding Company (RIICO), Rs 30 crore from the Tourism Division and the Rajasthan Tourism Improvement Company and Rs 50 crore as grant from the state authorities.
The Opposition questioned the misplaced priorities of the state authorities and Jully identified that Rs 100 crore allotted for the event of Khatu Shyamji temple in Sikar district has barely seen any exercise or expenditure even because the movie awards occasion was expedited on prime precedence. Demanding higher transparency and accountability from the state authorities, Jully requested the state authorities to make the MoU with Wizcraft to be made public for scrutiny. “How a lot did Sobha Realty and Nexa contributed to the occasion as key sponsors, particularly once they seem to have gotten away with extra publicity and a extra dominant presence on the occasion,” he went on to ask.
“Was this occasion for Rajasthan’s profit, or was it only a dance and music present? We want accountability on how a lot cash was given to the actors, organizations, and promotional actions,” he questioned, “Did any actor go to Rajasthan’s vacationer spots?”
Singer and music director Sonu Nigam added to the swirling controversy along with his social media publish thanking IIFA and including, “”In any case, you had been answerable to the Rajasthan forms.” He had tagged a screenshot of this 12 months’s nominees who included Arijit Singh, Karan Aujla, Diljit Dosanjh, Badshah, Jubin Nautiyal, and Mitraz. Nigam had delivered the hit monitor “Mere Dholna 3.0” from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Whereas Shreya Ghoshal gained the Finest Feminine Singer award for a similar tune, Nigam was miffed apparently at not being even nominated. One of the best male singer award went to Jubin Nautiyal for “Dua” from Article 370.
Nigam, nevertheless, appeared to be additionally referring to an earlier incident when Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma had walked out halfway by his efficiency on the Rajasthan Rising occasion in December,2024. Nigam had made a caustic remark or two and the forms appeared to have determined to bar his participation within the IIFA occasion.
Jully rattled the ruling social gathering by claiming that barring Shah Rukh Khan, the occasion had failed to ask prime grade actors in Hindi movies. BJP MLAs accused him of belittling the contribution of movie artistes and referred to the presence of Madhuri Dixit.
