Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 6 (ANI): Maharashtra cabinet minister and Mumbai Bharatiya Janata Party State President Ashish Shelar on Tuesday lauded the legacy of the state's prestigious Marathi film awards as the Maharashtra State Marathi Film Awards celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in Mumbai.

Addressing the gathering, Shelar said the awards, instituted by the state government and the Department of Cultural Affairs, have now completed sixty years, marking a significant milestone in the history of Marathi cinema.

Shelar said, 'Today, on behalf of the Maharashtra government and the cultural affairs department, the state film award, a very prestigious award, was organised here in Mumbai. This is the Diamond Jubilee. It has been sixty years since this award was given. More than 80 awards have been given in the last two years to writers, directors, actors, lyricists, composers, backstage artists, all of whom have made our films proud, have been awarded.'

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday directed the formation of a committee at the government level to find a permanent solution to the issue of regional cinema getting affected, including getting additional shows for Marathi films in multiplexes.

At a meeting held at the Mantralaya along with producers, distributors and the cinema workers' organisation of various parties, Shinde stated that a report should be sent by the government within a time frame of one and a half months, further stating that it was the role of the state government to ensure the survival of the Marathi cinema.

Several other issues including low number of screens available to Marathi films in multiplexes, removal of cinemas from theaters within three days without informing them, taking a week's fee and not returning the remaining amount, requesting the Censor Board to give censor approval to Marathi films despite repeated requests, and changing or canceling the showtimes of Marathi films at the last minute were also discussed in the meeting.

The chairman of this committee is the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department.

The Committee will also include the Principal Secretary, Appeals and Security, the Principal Secretary, Urban Development, the Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Department, the Secretary of Transport, producers of Marathi films, distributors, multiplex owners, Film City officials, representatives of the Film Corporation and representatives of the Producers Corporation.

'Based on the report submitted in the next one and a half months, the government will take action and make their decisions,' Shinde further stated.

On this occasion, Cultural Minister Ashish Shelar, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif, Tourism Minister Shambhuraj Desai, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Minister of State for Finance Ashish Jaiswal, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam, Principal Secretary to the Deputy Chief Minister Navin Sona, Principal Secretary to Urban Development D Govindraj, Secretary of Cultural Affairs Department Kiran Kulkarni and officers of other departments, MNS Chitrapat Sena's Amey Khopkar, Shiv Sena Chitrapat Sena's Sushant Shelar, NCP Chitrapat Sena's Babasaheb Patil, Video Palace's Nanubhai Jaisinghani, Distributor Sameer Dixit, Film Corporation President Meghraj Rajebhosale, Sandeep Ghuge were also present. (ANI)