New Delhi: After a two-year delay, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s pet project — a ‘Film City’ in Gautam Budh Nagar — seems to be gaining momentum with big names like superstar Rajinikanth said to be in talks.
However, with the project yet to attract a bidder, the sprawling 1,000-acre plot acquired for it lies barren, with a smattering of weeds and bushes. This despite the government offering concessions and entry for OTT platforms and VFX studios.
According to sources in the UP government, there were discussions between the CM and Rajinikanth about the project last week. “Rajinikanth has shown interest and the CM will soon be meeting him personally. The government wants personalities like Karan Johar or Rajinikanth to take up the project and that’s why they have been extending the deadline,” a senior government official, who did not wish to be named, told ThePrint.
The plot acquired for the proposed film city is 15 minutes from the Jewar International Airport, in Sector 21 of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA).
According to plans, the ‘Film City’ will house movie studios, shopping malls, film institutes, restaurants and an amusement park, and operate as a hi-tech facility. YEIDA has reportedly extended the deadline for developers to apply for the project to 31 March.
“If we get a bidder, we will be elated. But if not, a meeting for the division of the phases and further bidding will be held on 4 April,” YEIDA CEO Arun Vir Singh told ThePrint.
Asked why the ambitious project is failing to find takers, Singh said one of the reasons was that nobody wanted to invest in 1,000 acres of land. Another factor, he added, is that the landscape of the film industry has changed.
Meanwhile, reactions from the Hindi film industry have also been cold.
Sources in the industry told ThePrint that a section of filmmakers, directors and actors is not interested in the idea of a ‘Film City’ in Uttar Pradesh owing to the political situation in the country and the scrutiny they have to undergo.
Film director Sudhir Mishra said it takes time for an industry to develop. “We can’t force people anywhere,” he told ThePrint.
“There are a lot of films being made in Uttar Pradesh. Even I have shot my films there. But the film industry evolves over time. I don’t have any problem with UP. It has many good locations, but you need a certain amount of cosmopolitanism,” he added.
Earlier this month, YEIDA CEO Singh had written to the CM regarding the impediments to the project, following which rounds of discussions took place. “After discussions with different industries — Bollywood, Tollywood and filmmakers — we learnt that nobody was interested in investing in 1,000 acres. Hence, we thought we should divide it into four packets. Since the landscape of the film industry has changed, there was a sense that investing in such a huge plot will incur losses and not benefit anyone,” Singh told ThePrint.
The YEIDA CEO further said that the international consultancy firm roped in for the project had failed to gauge the requirements of the film industry amid the changing landscape, which added to the delay.
ThePrint reached actor Suniel Shetty, who has spoken previously on the issue, through calls and messages, but is yet to get a response. This report will be updated if a response is received.
The one ray of hope for the project, however, is one interested buyer — a veteran filmmaker who is “in awe” of Yogi Adityanath.
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Earlier tenders
Over the years, the UP government has issued tenders twice for the project, but has failed to get a bidder.
In November 2021, a global tender floated by the state government was unsuccessful in attracting any bidders. One company had applied after the deadline was extended thrice, but the deal didn’t materialise after the bid evaluation company cancelled the application owing to the absence of a minimum of three applicants required for the process.
In October 2022, the government launched another tender offering relaxations, including an increase in the concession period from 40 to 60 years, and allowing new entities like OTT platforms and VFX studios to set up their offices. But even that did not help.
After the second tender didn’t attract any bidders, the government internally circulated a message of dividing the project into four phases with 250 acres to be developed in each phase. However, no official announcement was made in this regard.
YEIDA CEO Singh said first phase of work will start on a 250-acre parcel for the first five years, followed by the second phase and so forth.
Bollywood’s take
In January, Adityanath had held a meeting with film personalities in Mumbai, inviting suggestions on how to develop the film industry in Greater Noida.
Actor Suniel Shetty, who was present at the event, raised concerns about the #BoycottBollywood trend, saying that “this should stop and it can if you take the lead”. He added that the perception around the film industry needs to change.
“We don’t take drugs, and it’s not like we do bad things throughout the day. There are rotten apples in every sphere, but that doesn’t make everyone a rotten apple,” the actor had said at a media interaction.
For Sudhir Mishra, it was the “villian-ification” of the Indian film industry that was a deterrent and also a reason why the ‘Film City’ project was not taking off.
“The villain-ification of any industry is not right. About 90 per cent of the people in the industry are hard-working, highly skilled and creative people,” he had said.
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The first interested buyer, a Yogi fan
At the YEIDA office in Greater Noida, veteran filmmaker K. C. Bokadia opens a booklet showcasing 60 films he has produced, starring famous personalities, including Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan.
The Phool Bane Angaray and Lal Baadshah director is the first member of the film industry who is interested in 250 acres of the plot.
He aims to develop a film training institute and a studio and has also promised employment to local residents.
“During the shooting of Signature, I met CM Yogi in Lucknow. His house is like a temple and he is a pujari (saint). I am in awe of him,” Bokadia says while scrolling through his phone to show the movie poster of his upcoming film that stars Anupam Kher, among others.
“During a conversation with the CM, I said no one will invest in this 1,000 acres of land. It’s not feasible. Even 250 acres of land is a big deal since the movie industry has changed and everything can now happen on a smartphone,” he adds.
Bokadia wants to start work at the Film City this year itself. “Within a month, I will lay the foundation stone and the work will start.”
Though the UP government kept the bidding process open till 31 March, it is yet to be known whether Bokadia’s offer was accepted.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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