Now a step closer to reality, what's in store at Yogi's ambitious, delayed International Film City

The Print

2 days ago

CM Yogi Adityanath will be the chief guest at the event.
Located in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) region, the project aims to establish the state as a major hub for film production, media, entertainment, and tourism. According to sources in the Uttar Pradesh chief minister's office (CMO), the foundation stone of the film city will be laid before 30 June.
Lucknow: Yogi Adityanath government's ambitious International Film City project finally seems set for a take-off, with a consortium of companies securing the bid for construction and a date for the foundation-laying ceremony being worked out.
According to government officials, renowned film producer Boney Kapoor's company Bayview Projects LLP—a consortium led by which won the bid for construction—has submitted a detailed layout plan for the film city to the YEIDA. The authority will review the plan, and after necessary approvals, formal construction work will begin.
ThePrint has learnt that in the first phase, construction will take place on 155 acres. The remaining 75 acres will be covered in the subsequent phase 2 and phase 3.
Arun Veer Singh, CEO of YEIDA, told ThePrint, 'This International Film City is planned to be developed over 230 acres in Sector 21 along the Yamuna Motorway. The first phase will kick off on 155 acres of land. The remaining 75 acres will be constructed later. The plan has almost been finalised, only final approvals are pending.'
Singh added, 'I have read some media reports claiming a 1,000-acre film city is being built. No, it is not factually correct. It will be on 230 acres, which will get completed in three phases with an estimated cost of Rs 1,510 crore.'
In the first phase, main structures like film studios, sound stages, post-production units, and a film institute will be built. Later phases will see construction of a commercial centre with retail, offices, and entertainment complexes.
The overall project is expected to be completed in three phases over the next eight years. Officials say the target for the first phase is completion by 2028.
The project faced a delay from the very start.
In September 2020, CM Yogi Adityanath announced that his government would establish the country's biggest film city in Gautam Buddha Nagar.
With several movies and web series now being shot in the state, a dedicated film city could bring employment while providing a one-stop centre for filmmakers. But after the announcement, this ambitious project got stuck in red tape.
According to YEIDA officials, almost an year after the initial announcement in November 2021, they issued a global tender for the project, but found no takers.
This prompted YEIDA to revise the detailed project report (DPR).
On 7 November 2022, a global tender was issued again, inviting bids from interested parties. But no developer or filmmaker submitted a bid. On 30 September, 2023, YEIDA issued a global tender and fixed 5 January, 2024, as the last date for submission of bids.
Subsequently, YEIDA opened the technical bids on 27 January, in which four companies qualified, paving the way for the opening of the financial bid on 30 January, 2024.
Officials said Boney Kapoor's Bayview Projects LLP was declared the highest bidder as it offered an 18 percent gross revenue share to the state government. After that, a consortium of three companies led by Bayview Projects LLP—two others are real estate firm Bhutani Group and Noida Cyber Park—were asked to begin construction.
The three other contenders were T-Series, and consortia backed by actor Akshay Kumar and film producer K.C. Bokadia.
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Film institute & resource centre
YEIDA officials said a film institute will also be established within the proposed International Film City campus. It will offer professional training across a wide range of disciplines such as acting, script writing, editing, VFX, camera operation, lighting, fashion and media.
Within this film institute, a comprehensive resource centre will be set up with films, scripts, and academic material, which will serve as a valuable asset for both students and filmmakers, it is learnt. The film institute will also organise film festivals, exhibitions, and competitions, giving students opportunities to showcase their talent.
Officials claim that after completing their training, students will be provided employment opportunities within the film city—thereby fostering local job creation and strengthening the region's creative economy.
Rajiv Arora, GM of Bayview Projects LLP, said this film institute will be one-of-a-kind. It will have modern classrooms, studios, editing suites, and a VR lab equipped with the latest technology.
Students will get hands-on experience working on real film projects and also have access to the latest filmmaking equipment. The campus will also include facilities like hostels, a cafeteria, a health centre, and recreational areas for students.
Arora added that local youngsters will be given priority in both training and employment.
'This film city project will generate at least 75,000–100,000 indirect jobs and at least 25,000 direct jobs,' claimed Arun Veer Singh. He also added that this film city will have a special focus on regional cinema. It will also host movie premieres so that production houses do not have to travel to other cities to showcase their films on opening night.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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