The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Wednesday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for taking away important events to Gujarat as the stage is set for the 69th Filmfare Awards-2024 to be held in the neighbouring state. The organisers announced that the coveted 69th Hyundai Filmfare Awards in collaboration with Gujarat Tourism shall be held at the new GIFT City in Gandhinagar as a two-day glamour-filled extravaganza on January 27-28.

Hitting out at the BJP, the Congress’ Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar said “this is not fair” and called it yet another attempt to downgrade the importance of Mumbai by taking away the film industry, known world over as ‘Bollywood’ out of Maharashtra.

“This is an attempt to dilute the importance of Mumbai. Earlier, the industries of Maharashtra were taken to Gujarat. Now the eye has fallen on the film industry,” said Wadettiwar.

He said Mumbai and Bollywood have an unbreakable bond and this decision will have a big impact on cine business, the actors and workers that are dependent on the film industry.

Nationalist Congress Party National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto said Gujarat is “stealing” everything from Mumbai and Maharashtra in the last couple of years, several big ticket projects were ‘stolen’ last year, and now the latest being the prestigious Bollywood film fraternity’s Filmfare awards.

“The Gujarat government’s invitation to Filmfare to hold the awards in Gujarat is just another ploy to take away the prestige of Mumbai and Maharashtra. It is shameful that, as always, the BJP led Maharashtra Government is silent on this issue, like they have been when projects and financial prospects were being taken away from the state,” said Crasto.

He said that Gujarat is also a state of India and it should prosper always, “but then why is the state and Central government not thinking the same for Maharashtra which is also an Indian state?” According to the organisers, the January 27 curtain-raiser shall be held at the Mahatma Mandir Convention & Exhibition Centre where Bollywood technical awards shall be announced, followed by the main glittering awards at the GIFT City on January 28.

The hosts for the shows shall be veteran film-maker Karan Johar, actor Ayushmann Khurrana, television celeb Manish Paul, plus performances by Kareena Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Kartik Aaryan, et al.