A Hindi feature film, starring Anupam Kher, is being shot in Jharkhand and if all goes well, Kaanu could become the first beneficiary of sops promised in the state's new film policy.

Debutante director Prabhat Bhattacharya, who starred in TV serial Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki, said the film was centred around football and was expected to be ready by the end of the year.

"Nearly half of the film has already been shot. It will be a little over two hours, roughly about 127 minutes," he said while addressing the media at Suchana Bhavan in Ranchi on Tuesday.

Produced by Gaurango Filmkraft Academy, Kaanu tells the fictional account of a highly acclaimed football coach from Calcutta (played by Anupam Kher), who after his retirement trains players of a Ghatshila football club that goes on to win a national championship.

Bhattacharya hoped the film would satisfy certain criteria proposed in Jharkhand Film Policy, thereby entitling it to funds.

"Our film could satisfy criterion mentioned in para 23.3 of the policy," he said, referring to the conditions spelt out for grant/incentives to films subject to evaluation by a committee.

According to the policy, any Hindi, Bengali or Odiya film shot in the state would get a maximum funding of 25 per cent of the total costs, if more than half of a film's shooting schedule was in the state, it would be entitled to get Rs 1 crore and if more than two-thirds of a film's shooting schedule was in the state, then it would get a maximum funding of Rs 2 crore.

Bhattacharya, who was initially reluctant to discuss these aspects, however, said that over 70 per cent of his film would be shot in Jharkhand.

That, according to the policy, could earn Kaanu a grant of Rs 2 crore.

According to a press release issued by Gaurango Filmkraft, among the others in the film were film and television actors like Smita Jayakar, Shishir Sharma, Naresh Suri and Suzanna Mukherjee. Footballers from Tata Football Academy and local clubs of Jamshedpur and Ghatshila will also take part.