Hyderabad: Tollywood producers are fed up with the enormous delay in getting approvals from the Animal Welfare Board for using animals in films. Producers who have to approach the board at Chennai for NOCs are now demanding that board to be set up in all regions including Hyderabad.
In several cases approvals are denied for non-compliance of rules and producers have to repeatedly apply. Jeevita Rajashekar, national board member of the Central Board of Film Certification said, “Not only Tollywood but producers from all regions are facing this problem as they have to go to Chennai.
We have been asking for local offices of the board in all regions of the CBFC including Hyderabad. This will save producers money and time. It is a tedious process. Even if an animal passes by while shooting, objections are raised.” Even for computer graphics depicting animals, permission has to be obtained.
“The board verifies whether the claims of computer graphics are true,” said an official. In the recent Telugu film Lachhimdeviki Oh Lekkundhi (LOL), Mayukha Creations was asked to scroll a message: “Crow in Computer Graphic”.
Though the rules say that a representative of AWBI has to be present at the time of shooting as all permissions have to be obtained prior to the shoot, the board has no manpower to spare. Due to this, in most cases verification is done only post shooting.
A source in CBFC said, “Approvals are needed only for performing animals and not needed when they are part of the background. For instance in Kerala, if elephants pass by they need not have approval, likewise for camels in Rajasthan.
However in AP, approvals are needed for both animals as they are not native species. For instance pigeons at Mecca Masjid or Gateway of India in Mumbai are common so there’s no need of permission. But if an actor is holding one or tying something to its legs, then permission is needed.”
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