Saina Nehwal biopic not shelved, says Amole Gupte
Mumbai: Filmmaker Amole Gupte says the biopic on badminton ace Saina Nehwal has not been shelved as they plan to start shooting in September this year.
There were reports that the film, starring Shraddha Kapoor as Nehwal, was put on the back-burner after hitting a roadblock.
When asked if the film has been shelved, Gupte told PTI, "I didn't respond to reports because I know what I am doing. It is better that the production house speaks, which is T-Series, rather than me. We are definitely going on floors in September."
The director said he has been working on the film since 2015 and will not rush it.
"I have already given two-and-a-half years of my life.
I am used to this pace (of working). There is a lot of preparation required for this film. We are at it," he said.
Currently, Gupte is awaiting the TV premiere of his last release, "Sniff". The film will be airing on &Pictures on January 14 and he is glad the film is getting a wider platform.
"Few minds in this nation respect children's content. I have seen some nice films perishing at the box office race because they need support and P&A (promotion and advertising) just to put it out there. It is an uphill task to create content for children and showcase their world to the adults."
Gupte is known for telling children's stories on the celluloid with films such as "Stanley Ka Dabba" and "Hawaa Hawaai".
He was also the writer and creative director for the National Award-winning film "Taare Zameen Par".
The director said while his movies enjoy great viewership on TV, it is tough to get families to theatres.
"If there is a U/A film, the adult in the family takes the children along. But if there is a children's film running in the theatre, the thought does not cross the mind of an Indian parent (of going for it)... (this) has taken me a lot of mulling over how to break this jinx."
The director said he has learnt the trick of first approaching the school and their heads to at least get children to cinema houses.
While some might say that working with children and animals is a big struggle, Gupte said it is the easiest bit but the toughest part is "convincing the adult world of our nation to take the children out to see the film."
"That's my struggle," he said.
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Only 13 percent of encroached forests recovered in ten years in Karnataka: Report
Hubballi: The Karnataka Forest Department has made little progress in recovering encroached forest land, managing to reclaim only 13.6 percent of the total encroached area over the last decade.
From 2014-15 to 2024-25 (March), the department resolved 7,621 cases and recovered just 31,317 acres of forest land, as reported by Deccan Herald on Sunday.
Data cited by DH shows that nearly 2.30 lakh acres of forest land in the state were encroached upon by August 2024, with the department having filed 1.19 lakh cases against the encroachers. However, the process of clearing encroached land has been slow, primarily due to the legal procedures involved and delays in joint surveys conducted by the revenue and forest departments. The process is further delayed due to appeals by the litigants in higher courts.
In the past two years alone, the department has managed to recover just 5,113 acres of land. Environmental activist Girish D. V. from Chikkamagaluru, speaking to DH, criticised the Forest Department's handling of the issue, stating that the recovery of encroached land often happens only when directed by courts. "Forget about clearing legacy encroachments, the department is unable to prevent fresh ones. Every day, the state is losing forest land," he remarked.
An interim annual report from the Forest Department (2024) highlighted that between March and December 2024, 900 new cases of forest land encroachment were registered. Girish also pointed out that a lack of political will to clear encroachments has limited the department’s ability to prevent new ones.
Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre acknowledged the slow pace of recovery, attributing it to legal obstacles, multiple claim documents, and the livelihoods of marginal farmers. He told the news outlet that the state government was using technology, including satellite surveys, to curb new encroachments.
Khandre further emphasised that the state government has "zero tolerance" toward forest encroachments and they would go after influential persons to recover forest land. He added that they are fighting to recover leased forest land from private parties and restore it as forest land.
