LUCKNOW: Prominent filmmakers want the forthcoming Film City in Noida not to be the replica of the one in Mumbai. It should instead have facilities and infrastructure that Mumbai’s film city does not have, they feel.
Like director, producer and screenplay writer Nikhil Advani said that UP film city should “incentivise” filmmakers. “There should be a reason to go there.”
The virtual panel discussion on ‘Filmfare Talkies - Movie destination Uttar Pradesh and the Upcoming Film City’, on Saturday, held by Filmfare Talkies in association with Film Bandhu, UP, had filmmakers and actors welcome Noida film city and agree on perfect locales and diverse and varied culture of UP to be the USP for film shoots.
Rajiv Menon, a well known name in the Indian film industry and ad film making, said, “Besides having a film city, UP should also work on raising a home grown talent, daily wage workers. That’s one way to also get cooperation from local people.”
Filmmaking, he said, should be a self sustaining activity throughout the year. The Mumbai film industry has a lot of people from UP. Those people can be called back to UP to work in films here but, then, should not be made to take up some other job or move back again to Mumbai once filmmaking activity in UP halts.
A film city certainly would be a gain, an advantage. “Hyderabad is an example. You can not imagine Bahubali without Ramoji film city,” he said. The infrastructure that is created should be multipurpose.
Ad and feature filmmaker Amit Sharma also emphasised on generating local talent. “UP is very close to my heart. I have shot ad films here and also my feature films, Maidaan and Tevar. People in UP have matured towards film shootings. They let the crew shoot. But it will help producers if they can hire local talent like a unit of light boys.”
It will not need to bring people from Mumbai to work here, he added.
Malavika Mohanan, actor who has worked in Tamil and Kannada films, recounted shooting a movie in Varanasi with Rajnikanth. “To shoot a movie with Rajni Sir in Tamil Nadu is not easy. So we were flown to shoot in Varanasi because its topography is very much similar to Tamil Nadu,” she said. In situations like such, film city can always help.
Filmmakers who have shot in UP hailed the warmth and support of its people.
“It is very safe to shoot in UP. People have opened up. Your shoot does not get stopped. People in Malihabad are used to shootings. They know individual linesmen,” said Advani.
Neeraj Ghaywan, director of critically acclaimed and award winning movie Masan said he loved shooting in Varanasi. “About 60% locations in ‘Masan’ were from people’s homes. They were hurt when we tried to pay them.”
“When I and producer Deepa Motwani were location hunting we met a CA who had two offices. We asked him if we could shoot in one of his offices. He said he needed to ask his wife. Later, his wife said she could let us shoot but they would cook for the unit. This experience would stay with me for the rest of my life. Though I am a Hyderabadi and also a Maharashtrian I also feel I am a UPite,” he added.
When asked by Filmfare editor Jitesh Pillai, what can make film city a film destination, Filmmakers agreed on it being technologically advanced. Director of films like ‘Stree’ and ‘Bala’, Amar Kaushik, who is from Kanpur, said he expects UP film city to be ahead technologically. “It should have aircraft, railway platforms that look realistic. Instead of going to real life locations we can shoot at the film city.”
It should also help exploit the cultural capital of UP, said Ghaywan. Director of ‘Badhai Ho’, Sharma, said that it should be state of the art and have new technology.
Aparna Purohit, head, India Originals, Amazon Prime Video, said, “There should be a single body to help shooting permissions. There should be offered subsidies and shooting packages.”
Noida film city should have a pan-North Indian existence and should help filmmakers who want to shoot in Uttrakhand and nearby states. “There should be an advisory board to suggest the government on letting the film city function better,” said Menon.
Filmmakers were also of the view that government investment is required to keep the film city maintained. To keep studio infrastructure maintained is not a profitable thing and that’s where the government has to focus.
Also, there should be people who make it easy for the shooting crew on an everyday basis, be it getting shooting permissions, proper accommodation for the crew or food for the unit. Safety of the crew, that is busy shooting away from home for days together, is of paramount importance.
“There is a need to be collaborative with the film industry,” said Advani.
Given the Covid-19 pandemic, hygiene on the sets is the new shooting protocol and has to be looked into. Again, local people who are hired should be educated about shooting protocols. They need to know what they are doing and supposed to do.
A need for a vocational training institute also came up during the panel discussion so that local people can be trained in allied crafts of filmmaking.
Filmmaker Anirudha Roy Chowdhury said that the fact that there would also be a film school is like not only making films but also learning films. “Film school will get people from everywhere and not just UP,” he said.
Filmmakers who have already shot in UP recounted their happy memories. Advani said he loved shooting in Varanasi. “Food is great. People are warm. My favourite city in the world is Varanasi. It is the only city that celebrates death.”
“People in UP have no qualms. They are very welcoming. I shot in Varanasi for six days and every day had breakfast, lunch and dinner at a different home. People invited me to their place,” said Sharma.
Purohit also had a bit of her happy memory shooting in Malihabad. “There were cartons of mangoes gifted for the crew. Malihabad is the Mango capital of UP and there are stories about different mangoes.”