Oscars planning to set up office in Mumbai
The Maharashtra government has proposed to set up an Oscars office in Mumbai.
The president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science, John Bailey, who is on a trip to India, along with wife Carol Littleton, met with State Cultural Affairs and Education Minister Vinod Tawde and Principal Secretary, Cultural Affairs, Bhushan Gagrani.
As cited in the Economic Times, Bailey said, “We have an office in London, and there is one in New York. Those are the only two standing office. India is the largest filmmaking country in the world. The country makes up to 1,800 movies a year, which is four times the number we make in the US. There is logic to it, it’s an excellent idea.”
He added, “It is a service organisation for its members or the artistes that are its members, to preserve history, to expand our history and to honour history…through the Oscars every year, to honour the best of the filmmaking in that year. It has a specific human focus.
“The reason to have an office anywhere is based upon the services the Academy can provide to the members. Thus, key to having an office in Mumbai or in India would be to being able to service the members and the community and to expand the outreach.”
Meanwhile, minister of the Maharashtra government, Vinod Tawde, tweeted:
It was an absolute pleasure to welcome John Bailey, President of the Academy Awards (#Oscars) in Mumbai, the home ground of Bollywood! India’s entertainment capital has opened its doors and GoM has proposed to establish Oscars office in Mumbai, representing Asian Film Industry! pic.twitter.com/5NnSYYWAgu
— Vinod Tawde (@TawdeVinod) May 25, 2019
