Lucknow: Yogi Adityanath Sarkar The ambitious International Film City Project is finally ready for a take-off, in which the companies are working with a date for acquiring bids and foundation for the construction of a union of companies.
Located in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) area, the project aims to establish the state as a major center for film production, media, entertainment and tourism. According to sources in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) of Uttar Pradesh, the foundation stone of the film city will be laid before June 30.
CM Yogi Adityanath will be the chief guest in this program.
Show full article
According to government officials, famous filmmaker Boney Camphor Company BayView Projects LLP – Under the leadership of a consortium, under which the bid for construction was won – has presented a detailed layout plan to Yida for the film city. The authority will review the plan, and after the necessary approval, the formal construction work will begin.
ThePrint has learned that in the first phase, the construction will be in 155 acres. The remaining 75 acres of land will be covered in later phase 2 and step 3.
Yeda’s CEO Arun Veer Singh told Thrint, “This international film city is planned to be developed on 230 acres in Sector 21 with Yamuna Motorway. The first phase will be closed on 155 acres. The remaining 75 acres will be constructed later. The plan is almost finalized, only the final approval.”
Singh said, “I have read some media reports, claiming that the 1,000 -acre film city is being produced. No, it is not factually correct. It will be on 230 acres, which will be completed in three stages with an estimated cost of Rs 1,510 crore.”
In the first phase, main structures such as film studios, sound stage, post-production unit and a film institute will be made. The latter stages will be seen in the construction of a commercial center with retail, offices and entertainment complexes.
The overall project is expected to be completed in three phases in the next eight years. Officials say the target for the first phase has been completed by 2028.
The project faced delay from the beginning.
In September 2020, CM Yogi Adityanath announced that his government would establish the country’s largest film city in Gautam Buddha Nagar.
With many films and web series now being shot in the state, a dedicated film can bring employment by providing a-stop center for city filmmakers. But after the announcement, this ambitious project got stuck in red tape.
According to Yeda officials, about a year after the initial announcement in November 2021, he released a global tender for the project, but found no one to take.
This inspired Yeida to modify the detailed project report (DPR).
On 7 November 2022, a global tender was re -released, inviting dialects from interested parties. But no developer or filmmaker presented the bid. On September 30, 2023, Yeda released a global tender and fixed on 5 January 2024, as the last date to submit the bid.
Subsequently, Yeda opened a technical bid on 27 January, in which four companies qualified, paved the way for opening financial bids on 30 January, 2024.
Officials said that Boney Kapoor’s Boney Kapoor’s Buyvue Projects LLP was declared the most bidder as it offered 18 percent gross revenue share to the state government. After that, a consortium of three companies led by Buyvue Projects LLP – two other real estate firms Bhutani Group and Noida Cyber Park – asked to start construction.
Three other contenders were T-series, and Consortia was supported by actor Akshay Kumar and filmmaker KC Bokadia.
Film Institute and Resource Center
Yeda officials said that a film institute would also be set up within the proposed International Film City campus. It will provide professional training in a wide range of subjects such as acting, script writing, editing, VFX, camera operation, lighting, fashion and media.
Within this film institute, a comprehensive resource center will be established with films, scripts and academic materials, which will serve as a valuable asset for both students and filmmakers. Film institute will also organize film festivals, exhibitions and competitions, which will give students opportunities to show their talent.
Officials claim that after completing their training, students will be provided employment opportunities within the film city – to promote local employment generation and strengthen the constructive economy of the region.
Bayview Projects LLP GM Rajiv Arora said that this film will be one type each. It will have a VR lab equipped with modern classes, studios, editing suits and latest technology.
Students will get experience working on real film projects and will also have access to the latest film production equipment. The campus will also include facilities like students, a cafeteria, a health center and recreational field for students.
Arora said that local youth will be given priority in both training and employment.
Arun Veer Singh said, “This film city project will generate at least 75,000-100,000 indirect jobs and at least 25,000 direct jobs.” He also said that this film city will have special attention to regional cinema. This movie will also host the premiere so that production houses do not have to travel to other cities to showcase their films on opening night.
(Edited by Ajit Tiwari)