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 was declared the Most Film Friendly State in the country. The numerous films and shows shot across MP stand testimony to the fact that it has emerged as a preferred shoot destination for the showbiz industry. What makes MP shoot-friendly?

Talking about the reasons that have put MP on the map of filmmakers, Sheo Shekhar Shukla, managing director of the MP Tourism Board, shares, “The award is certainly an impetus to keep working the way we do. We are also working on establishing infrastructure for film studios, post-production houses and virtual studios in the state.”

“With the initiation of Film Facilitation Cell, the department has added nodal officers in all major districts that are popular for shoot, who will be handholding the crew through different processes as and when needed,” he adds.

Umakant Choudhary, deputy director of the board, who handles the filming aspect, explains, “Single window clearance for the shoot permissions through the web portal has been a huge attraction for filmmakers. Between 2019 and 2022, more than 90 films, web series and TV shows have been shot in the state. Under MP’s Film Tourism Policy 2020 we have provided various subsidies to encourage more people to shoot here.”

In the last 15 years, various destinations have seen shoots taking place. Line producer Syed Zaid Ali, who has handled the work for 350 plus projects, shares, “MP offers diversity in terms of locations, culture, talent and more. Prakash Jha, who shot Raajneeti here, spoke about the opportunities the state has to offer and that helped open more avenues. Even when we faced trouble while shooting a recent series featuring Bobby Deol, the issue was sorted soon, and shooting resumed the same day.”

Harsh Dave, another line producer from Indore, who has handled projects like Dabangg 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. 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.”

— Inputs by Mihir Bhanage and Rachana Dubey