'When it comes to shoots, the entire state of MP is a film city'

At a session titled 'Promoting Filmmaking in Madhya Pradesh,' at Film Bazaar on the sidelines of the ongoing IFFI, speakers discussed how filming in MP is hassle-free. From shooting inside the Mahakal temple in Ujjain for OMG 2 to discussing the warm welcome received from locals, OMG director Amit Rai, CBFC member and producer Vani Tripathi Tikoo, and actor Pankaj Tripathi, explored how several films and web series have found their backdrop in the culturally rich state.Chanderi's architecture is so beautiful that it feels like a film set was created there years ago: Pankaj TripathiPankaj Tripathi has filmed Stree, OMG 2, and other films in Madhya Pradesh and is currently shooting for Stree 2 here. Speaking about shooting the film, which set in the town of Chanderi, he says, "It feels like Chanderi was created 400-500 years ago solely for film shooting purposes. That’s how beautiful it is. Until a few years ago, people didn’t know that they could get paid for shoots here. They would say ‘Mere ghar pe shooting kar lo’.” The actor also shared that during his initial years in the industry, he did an ad for MP Tourism and visited all the tourist places in the state. It was surprising that we got permission to shoot inside the Mahakal temple: Amit RaiDirector Amit Rai shared that the locals cooperate a lot during film shoots. He added, "When I had to shoot for OMG 2, we thought of shooting in the Mahakal temple in Ujjain. It’s tricky and we were suggested to set up a set of the temple in Film City, Mumbai too. But I said bhagwan jab real honge toh Pankaj Tripathi (who plays lead in OMG2) bhi real ho jayenge. When I met the in-charge officer and expressed my desire to shoot inside the temple I wasn’t confident I’d be allowed to do it. But the officer asked for a list of places where I wanted to shoot and signed it immediately. We never had to put up any set." Applauding this, Vani Tripathi Tikoo commented, "Religious spaces in India are sacred. To trust film units to shoot inside a temple is worth applauding. MP is helping in creating authentic content by giving permission to shoot in the places where the story is based. That's the beauty of the state and its people-Vani Tripathi Tikoo, Producer and CBFC memberMP mein main 4-5 film kar chuka hoon, No one creates any disturbance during the shoot or comes asking for a photo with the actors-Pankaj Tripathi, actorWe have created a shoot-friendly infrastructure, and Madhya Pradesh offers a perfect combination of greenery, heritage, history, and cultural richness. When it comes to shooting, the MP Tourism Board serves as a one-stop solution. The entire state is like a film city - Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Tourism and Culture Department, MPTop shooting destinationsBhopal Gwalior Chanderi Maheshwar Orchha Ujjain Forest areas of the state Recent films shot in MPSherni Sui Dhaga Panga Dhakad Janhit Mein Jaari Stree Selfie Kathal