You might soon see a professionally shot government awareness programme with all the hallmarks of fine film-making.
You might soon see a professionally shot government awareness programme with all the hallmarks of fine film-making. The Pune Division of the Central Railway has approached the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) for collaborating on a documentary that would create awareness about railway safety and precautions.
Fatal practice: The documentaries will aim to deter commuters from
crossing railways tracks. File pic
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A Central Railway official on condition of anonymity said the film primarily plans to highlight the perils of track and level crossing, which kill several people daily. "Other parts of the film will talk about railway safety, ticketless travel and cleanliness issues. The decision has been taken after a recent spate of accidents in the Pune Division and other parts of the country", said a railway official on condition of anonymity.
The issue was discussed during a meeting between CR and FTII officials yesterday. Central Railway Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yogendra Kumar Singh confirmed the development and said that the plan was to make a series of small 1 or 2 -minute documentaries on each subject.
"The accident in Punjab's Ferozepur district where five members of a family were killed when a speeding train hit a tempo they were travelling in. Plus, the Indian Railways is a monolithic social organisation where people from all strata of the society converge. The films will be aimed at all types of audiences. However, I am yet to plan how to air the films on television", Singh said.
Interestingly, Singh is an avid film-maker and has shot a film on the swine flu menace last year, which was aired on a leading TV news channel. "The main focus would be on safely crossing platforms using the Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) and not crossing the tracks", he said. FTII Registrar Prakash Magdum said, "FTII will consider the railway's proposal by carefully studying the plan and take a concrete decision."