If Hollywood has the Walk of Fame—where its stars leave their imprint in concrete for posterity—our film industry is set to go one up with a four-floor tribute on Mumbai’s Pedder Road.Planned by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the Museum of Moving Images will document the progress of Indian cinema through films spanning the past to the present. The museum will also house a state-of-the-art preservation plant to restore ancient films.First proposed by the NDA government, the project is expected to be ready by June.I&B Secretary Navin Chawla says the Ministry is keen to stick to the deadline. ‘‘Mumbai has a vibrant film industry and no museum to showcase its past and present,’’ he points out.Films from the past will be divided into three categories—Most Precious (in terms of their antiquity), Precious and Normal. Also showcased will be children’s films.The Most Precious films will include those whose originals are currently locked up in the vaults of the Film and Television Institute of India at Pune. Many of these were destroyed in a fire two years ago.Eventually the Ministry hopes to make the project a joint venture with the film industry. Right now, says Chawla, that’s a little difficult considering the number of organisations claiming to represent the interests of the industry. ‘‘They have to get together to represent a common cause.’’ The I&B Secretary admits that the project might prompt demands for similar museums from states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, with active film industries of their own, but says the Ministry is open to suggestions.Meanwhile, the Ministry is also planning a panel discussion on television content on February 16.
