Light, camera...action, in Gujarat

Actor Paresh Rawal, in partnership with script writer Mithun Bhutia signed an MoU with the state government to establish a film city somewhere in south Gujarat. Unhappy with the response of the Bihar government, veteran actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha is planning to shift his project of setting up a film city to Gujarat.

The state might lack the exotic beauty of Alps and the beaches of Miami, but it can definitely provide promising locations in the jungles of Dang and Sasan Gir and calm beaches of Mandavi.

Gujarat has so far been a hub for shooting documentaries and short films, particularly on the 2002 riots.

Premier institutes like IIM-A, NID, MICA and CEPT have introduced courses that deal with film making and the film industry. Film festivals in the state are also trying their best to encourage local talents to take up film-making. With these efforts in place, does Gujarat have the potential to emerge as one of the active centres for film-making?

“Although movies like Lagaan, Refugee, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Gandhi My Father, and The Desire among others have been shot here, Gujarat as a location for shooting films has not been explored to the fullest," said Shiladitya Bora, founder FulMarxx and Ahmedabad International Film Festival (AIFF).

"It's high time that the government makes some efforts to promote it as an attractive location for filmmakers," said Bora. According to film director Apoorva Lakhia the idea would be fantastic as Gujarat has beautiful beaches, temples, villages and highways all of which are suitable locations for films.

"The only thing that needs to be worked upon is the infrastructure. If Gujarat is able to develop good editing studios and locations like Ramoji Rao film city, it can emerge as a major location for films," said Lakhia. Mehul Upadhyay, director, First Time Film Makers (FTFM) said that Gujarat has immensely rich locales including heritage sites like Champaner, Kutch and Bhuj.

"We already have enough acting and drama schools, but there is an urgent need for institutes that teaches technical skills in commercial film making," Upadhyay said. According to Tejas Desai, who teaches film industry and film communication at IIM, Gujarat has a fair chance of qualifying as a film centre if someone takes up the initiates to start a production headquarter here.

Gujarat's proximity to Mumbai can also improve its chances of being considered for the same. "Moreover, the cost of living here is not high and hence it can prove to be cheap and business friendly," he said. But he also warns that prohibition and the image of Ahmedabad as a city that is communally divided may not work in Gujarat's favour.