Coming soon: A new, improved Filmcity after Rs2,625-cr revamp

The city’s most popular film shooting destination is set to get a major makeover — complete with revamped studios, hotels for cast and crew, themed villages and an entertainment centre for tourists

The city’s most popular film shooting destination is set to get a major makeover — complete with revamped studios, hotels for cast and crew, themed villages and an entertainment centre for tourists. The Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari management has proposed a Rs2,625-crore makeover plan to the state government that will be implemented on a public-private-partnership (PPP) model.

Filmcity in Goregaon, Mumbai (HT File)

It has also asked actors Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan to be part of an advisory panel for the project. They have reportedly accepted Filmcity Corporation’s request.

The plan categorises activities at Filmcity into pre-production, production and post-production. It has proposed 31 state-of-the-art studios, eight villages representing the culture of India’s different states and 45 outdoor locations spread across 105 acres. A special-effects studio to improve post-production work was also proposed, apart from facilities such as a five-star hotel, a 250-room three-star hotel, a budget hotel and dorms. While the plan to improve facilities at Filmcity has been in the pipeline for a while, the Corporation (a state government undertaking) submitted its recent proposal with points to ensure a holistic revamp plan for the 438-acre space.

A cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure, headed by CM Devendra Fadnavis, is expected to decide on the proposal in the next few days.

“We have kept in mind the queries the revenue and forest departments raised and have complied with them. We have made a representation to the BMC asking them to correct errors made in the draft Development Plan that had reserved many parts of Filmcity,” said an official from the cultural department.

The official said the plan is to work on a PPP basis, with a concession period of 45 years for the developer to recover project cost by sharing revenue from hospitality and tourism facilities.

The ownership of the studios and other locations will be with the government.

“The proposal has almost been finalised by our department, and will soon be cleared by the state cabinet,” said Vinod Tawde, the minister for cultural affairs.

In a bid to attract tourists, it has also provided for a biodiversity park on 33 acres and theme parks, bus trips and 5-D action centres.