Madhya Pradesh | Lights, camera, action

The number of films and OTT shows being shot in Madhya Pradesh have skyrocketed and the Film Tourism Policy (FTP) launched in March 2020 seems to be the reason.

ISSUE DATE: Oct 21, 2024

The craggy ravines have never disappointed Bollywood. The Sunil Dutt starrer Mujhe Jeene Do (1963), Putli Bai (1972), Dacait (1987), with Sunny Deol in the lead, Bandit Queen (1994) and Paan Singh Tomar (2012)—the dacoit genre had Madhya Pradesh as one of its most sought after filming destinations for six decades. Understandably so, for the legendary badlands of the Chambal, where numerous dacoit gangs were based, are located here. But in the past five years, the Hindi film industry has realised that there is much more to the state as a film shooting destination than a perfect setting for cops chasing dacoits on galloping horses. MP has now emerged as one of the most sought-after filming destinations for movies and OTT shows—as many as 400 movies and OTTs have been produced partly or wholly in the state in recent years.

Though all-time classics like Shri 420 and Naya Daur were partly shot in MP way back in the 1950s, and even the offbeat Teesri Kasam was among the films that kept up the momentum in the ’60s, the steady trickle of location scouts rarely looked beyond Indore, Bhopal and Gwalior till the 2010s. It was director Prakash Jha who in a sense rediscovered MP by exploiting its diverse locations, beginning with Rajneeti (2008). After this, he shot Arakshan (2011), Chakravyuh (2012) and Gangajal 2 (2016) in MP. However, it was the state government’s Film Tourism Policy (FTP) in March 2020 that has turned out to be the game-changer. Its most important objective is to facilitate film shootings in MP through a single window system of permissions. This erased the notorious roadblocks that inevitably arise when negotiating a maze of bureaucracy.

The FTP also offers subsidies for content shot in MP, though it covers only a small part of the production cost. Applications for subsidy are to be made post production and it can be claimed only if certain criteria are met, including at least 50 per cent of the project being shot in MP.

But contrary to popular belief, it is not subsidies that are seducing Bollywood biggies. Actually, out of over 400 film shoots since 2020, only 16 have applied for and received the subsidy amount—Rs 2 crore for a film and Rs 1 crore for an OTT. Explains Sheo Shekhar Shukla, principal secretary, tourism and culture, MP: “An important aspect of the film tourism policy is to create an ecosystem for film-making in Madhya Pradesh itself.” As part of this, the MP government has identified sites for developing film cities on a public private partnership model in Dewas and Jabalpur. Technical and non-technical training is being imparted for film-related work. “Employment is generated in the process for local youth. Ever since film shooting began in a big way in MP, locals have secured roles as actors in films too,” adds Shukla.

One of the biggest results has been the mushrooming of companies that function as line producers for film projects, providing logistics assistance to units from Mumbai such as transport, local actors, location permits, boarding and lodging, security and equipment. “Till 2008, 32 films had been shot in MP. After 2008, the numbers skyrocketed, especially in the past five years,” says Syed Zaid Ali, director of Zeal Z Entertainment Services, a Bhopal-based line production company.

Zaid claims his company has handled an astounding 431 film shoots in MP in recent years. “Earlier, films were shot mostly in metros like Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. Later, directors began going to UP and Bihar to get a feel of ‘real India’. And they realised that among non-metro options, MP was best in terms of law and order,” says Zaid. He also points to the “unmatched” variety of shooting locales in MP: “There are heritage monuments in Khajuraho, Gwalior, Orchha and Mandu, forests in Kanha, Bandhavgharh and Pachmarhi and any village can be a location for a project set in rural India,” he adds. Film shoots generate vital revenue for a state—from taxes to hotel bookings. Unsurprisingly, states are competing with each other to get films shot, with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh announcing film policies as well.

Prominent recent projects shot in MP include Panga (2020), Kalank (2019), Ludo (2020), Mohenjodaro (2016), Sanju (2018), Stree (2018), Stree 2 (2024), Manikarnika (2019), Laapata Ladies (2023), Bhool Bhulaiya 3 (2024) and the hit web series Panchayat (2020-) and The Suitable Boy (2020). Stree 2, shot in Chanderi, is the highest grossing Hindi film ever while Laapata Ladies is now India’s entry to the Oscars. MP is proving to be lucky for film-makers. That’s another reason for them to shoot their films in the state.