For young filmmakers in Jammu, the J&K Film Policy promises permissions, a single-window cell and subsidies. A reply obtained under the RTI Act and reported by The Tribune on 6 November shows which of those has worked so far: 495 shooting permissions have been granted since the policy launched in 2021, while the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) says "No amount of subsidy has been disbursed as on date."
What the RTI reply says
- Nine subsidy applications have been received; all are "under process".
- Nothing has been spent from the Film Development Fund.
- A separate RTI reply says no independent audit, internal audit or evaluation of the policy or its spending has been done.
- The current policy, dated March 2024, is valid for five years; the department says there have been no amendments.
How the Film Development Fund is meant to work
The Fund is a separate head of account under the Information and Public Relations Department, with a proposed outlay of Rs 500 crore over five years, planned at Rs 100 crore a year from the capital expenditure budget. It can be used for subsidies and incentives, film festival participation, training, seminars, competitions, exposure visits and destination marketing.
Who can claim a subsidy
- General applicants: minimum production cost of Rs 10 crore and screening on at least 25 screens nationwide.
- J&K domiciles: minimum production cost of Rs 50 lakh and screening on at least three screens.
Applications go to the J&K Single Window Cell, which forwards recommendations to the J&K Film Division, preferably within 45 days. The Film Division is chaired by the Director, Information.
What is not known
The report does not name who filed the RTI, and we have not found a wider government response beyond the DIPR's reply to the RTI itself. The department has not been quoted on why no subsidy has been paid or when the nine applications will be decided. The report is the only source for these figures; we have not seen the RTI documents.
Source: The Tribune, Arjun Sharma, 6 November 2026. Image: file photo of a J&K Film Policy 2024 presentation at Film Bazaar, IFFI Goa, from The Tribune.
