‘Artists should be respected, but….’: CM Yogi on ‘boycott Bollywood’ trend | Exclusive

In his conversation with Rahul Kanwal about the ongoing divide in Bollywood, the chief minister said, “We are to unite, not divide and film city in UP will bring everyone together”.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the new film city in Uttar Pradesh would be world-class. (File photo)

By India Today Web Desk: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday spoke exclusively to India Today and shed his views on a range of issues, including the hotbed ‘boycott’ trend in Bollywood and the upcoming film city in the populous state. Yogi Adityanath said that the film city in Uttar Pradesh would be “world-class”.

In his tete-a-tete with Rahul Kanwal about the ongoing divide in Bollywood, the chief minister said, “We are to unite, not divide and film city in UP will bring everyone together”.

Speaking about the ongoing cancel or boycott culture in Bollywood, Yogi Adityanath said that actors and artists must be respected, but it is also important for filmmakers to respect sentiments of the masses.

When asked about CM Yogi’s flagship film city project and its development, Adityanath said that he recently met actors and directors in Mumbai for the same. “You will see a world-class film city in Uttar Pradesh,” the chief minister said.

The statement comes after Adityanath’s Mumbai early last month. During his visit, he met many celebrities, including Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty, Kailash Kher, and Sonu Nigam, among others, with the prospect of extending subsidies to filmmakers to come and shoot in UP.

Yogi Adityanath had mentioned in the meeting that cinema plays a huge part in uniting society and he wants to ensure the fraternity can shoot smoothly in UP as it is a ‘film-friendly’ state.

“We have made two of your film fraternity members MP, and we know the issues you face and what needs to be done. Cinema plays a crucial role in uniting society and preserving the unity and sovereignty of the country,” he added.

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