It was 1951 when Madhya Pradesh saw its first ever film shoot with Dilip Kumar’s Aan. 71 years and more than 600 film projects later, the state has added another accolade to its bag. At the 68th National Film Awards, Madhya Pradesh (MP) was declared the Most Film Friendly State in the country. The various films and shows shot across MP stand testimony to the fact that it has emerged as a preferred shoot destination for the entertainment industry. What makes MP a shoot-friendly location?

Talking about the reasons that have put Madhya Pradesh on the map of filmmakers, Sheo Shekhar Shukla, principal secretary and managing director of the MP Tourism Board, shares, “The award is certainly an impetus to keep working the way we do. Our local machineries also make sure that shoots are completed with no issues with law and order. We are also working on establishing infrastructure for film studios, post-production houses and virtual studios, for which we are in talks with a few production houses in Mumbai.” MP was one of the first states to open up permissions to shoot after COVID, with every protocol and bio-bubble in place. Adding more about the same Shukla says, "Our political leadership has been a visionary about film tourism in the state, he has issued clear directives that we have to enable teams to function smoothly during their time here."

Umakant Choudhary, deputy director of the board, who handles the filming aspect, explains, “Single window clearance for the shoot permissions, through the online portal set up by Film Facilitation Cell of the state, has been a huge attraction for filmmakers. We are also offering competitive pricing on equipment and logistics that are needed. Under the Film Tourism Policy 2020, of the state, we have provided various subsidies to encourage more films to be shot here. Beginning with 1 crore going up to 10 crores subsidies are available depending on the criteria. Between the years 2020-2022, more than 90 films, web series and TV shows have been shot in various destinations across the state.

Harsh Dave, another line producer from Indore, who has handled projects like Dabangg 3 and Ponniyin Selvan: I, shares, “The state has so many beautiful destinations that can double up as options for showcasing any part of the country, in some films it is Maharashtra, or locations from south India or Uttar Pradesh too. The local people go out of their way to accommodate the shoot, even agreeing to temporarily stay at a different place if required. All this makes filmmakers want to return to the state to shoot.”

In the last 15 years, various destinations have seen shoots taking place. Bhopal based line producer Syed Zaid Ali, who has handled the work for many big budget films like Rajneeti, upcoming film Selfiee shares, “MP offers diversity in terms of locations, culture, talent and much more that many other states are not able to offer. Word of mouth from the producers helped a lot, like that of Prakash Jha who shot Rajneeti here seamlessly and spoke about the opportunities the place has to offer. Even when we faced trouble while shooting a recent series featuring Bobby Deol, the issue was sorted soon, and shooting resumed the same day."

For projects shot in MP, the state government has subsidies ranging from Rs50 lakh to Rs 10 crore (approx) in place, depending on various criteria like cost of production, the total duration of the shoot in the state, involvement of local resources etc. An additional subsidy of Rs 50 lakhs is applicable if MP is shown as MP in the project as well. Involvement of local artistes also attracts a subsidy amount, as per the Film Tourism Policy 2020 of the state.

Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Chanderi, Maheshwar, Orchha, Ujjain and the forest area around Jabalpur

“I love shooting in MP because the people are of course warm and welcoming. At the same time I get a visual variety in terms of locations. We have shot in other states, but MP offers something newer every time” – Laxman Utekar, filmmaker

"Have shot in a remote area in MP as well as busy markets and never have we faced any issue. People are welcoming. Even in crowded areas it was never a security concern because koi interfere ya problem cause nahi karta hai waha." - Vishal Furia, filmmaker

“The kind of support we receive while working there - single-window clearances, infrastructure, security, help from the police, and artiste support from local groups and the list goes on.” – Raaj Shaandilyaa, writer and filmmaker

“The people here are very disciplined and peace-loving. They are very cooperative here, when compared to cities like Kanpur and Banaras, and things are relatively relaxed here.” – Anurag Basu, filmmaker (in a previous interview with us)

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