Dharmendra Jore: Can we have some more international gigs, please?

ldquoIndia is a young country and our future is built on the choices you make and the actions you take I hope you too will seize the momentrdquo said PM Narendra Modi while addressing the grand finale of Global Citizen Festival India at the MMRDA ground on SaturdayAs the PM rightly said the Indian youth mdash especially those from Mumbai mdash made up their mind to attend a festival in which popular band Coldplay was scheduled to perform for the first time in India They wanted to seize the moment because they didnrsquot know if they would have another event like this any time soonChris Martin Coldplayrsquos frontman must have guessed the mood of the 88000odd fansrsquo correctly and instantly hit a chord with them He wondered as to why Mumbai had to wait so long to see him and his band ldquoYou have waited for us to come and perform in India for 16 years Yoursquove been patient and beautifulrdquo he saidWhy not more showsThe excited audience has obviously wondered why Mumbai does not get to host international stars and bands frequently and what it is that stops interested organisers from staging events of this magnitude The youth of today are very clear about the choices they make mdash in this case being witness to Coldplay type events Saturdayrsquos was an outstanding show that ran nine hours It featured desi and international celebrities like Jay Z Demi Lovato The Vamps AR Rahman and a host of Bollywood stars including Amitabh Bachchan with the central attraction being ColdplayIt was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the culminating event became a hit only because it featured an international entity Mumbaikars may recall an event of similar grandeur Michael Jacksonrsquos blitzkrieg stage performance 20 years ago The city may have hosted many events in the ensuing 20 years but it hasnrsquot really gone beyond countless Bollywood events such as annual awards and concerts What the city with an immense disposable income is missing is international stars that our youth adore The city also misses international sport stars especially of team games like football and hockey the two disciplines the city holds close to its heart We are not counting cricket here because it is backed solidly by a potent BCCIGovernmentrsquos the X factorWho stands between the enthusiasts and the people who may like to organise such events Before determining that answer letrsquos see why events such as Coldplay and Jackson succeeded beyond expectations Simply because they were supported actively by the governmentThe Global Citizen festival was special to the PM because he during many of his foreign jaunts had been to a similar event in 2014 The Mumbai do was planned in advance and the Devendra Fadnavis government was given a mandate to make it successful It is another matter that like the Jackson event this one too courted controversies Leave that aside and instead see as to how the government can take the model forward in bringing more international events to the city without being an active playerPolicy neededWe have event managers companies and individuals who boast of connections strong enough to rope in international acts What they need is a proper government policy that would facilitate quicker licenses that are required for staging performances police protection they may pay cost for this a couple of dedicated venues which charge affordable rent so that they donrsquot need to seek political assistance for getting a concession Reducing 45 per cent entertainment duty that the Maharashtra Government charges from the organising agencies should augur wellThe government policy if framed should offer ease of business to the entertainment industry In the past two years Fadnavisrsquo government reduced the number of licenses and is now moving forward to offering a single window clearance in many sectors The government can identify the Global Citizen festival as a role model for drafting an adequate policy because of the shorter time that its administration has taken in granting permissions concessions and other facilities In the policy the government should ensure a voluntary role of a host partner for itself without getting actively involved in such events It should play a passive role through its policy which will help a cosmopolitan Mumbai in retrieving a status of an international cultural hubFadnavis should mull over suggestions that we consider as a collective thought of the generation he interacted with at the Global Citizen Festival on Saturday He may derive inspiration from the lines of Bob Dylanrsquos iconic song ldquoThe times they are achanginrdquo that his boss PM Modi quoted in his addressDharmendra Jore is political editor midday He tweets dharmendrajore Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycom