Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai on Saturday presided over the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Chitrotpara International Film City and Tribal and Cultural Convention Center, marking important infrastructure developments that will help the central Indian state establish itself as a production destination.
The 95-acre first phase development is being led by creator Tarun Rati through Rajnandini Entertainment and Indradeep Infra. The project has received support from the Ministry of Tourism under the Special Assistance Scheme and is a demonstration of the central government’s support for the facility, which is being positioned as India’s first fully equipped international film city.
Industry interest is already taking shape, with early talks reportedly considering the venue as a potential filming location for upcoming high-profile films such as ‘Golmaal 5’ and ‘Gaddar 3’, as well as other titles in pre-production.
The development goes beyond the sound stage to incorporate exhibition and convention infrastructure through a partnership with India Exposition Mart Limited and the Handicrafts Export Promotion Council. IEML Chairman Rakesh Kumar and EPCH Chairman Neeraj Khanna are developing facilities such as exhibition centres, convention halls, hotels, business showrooms and helipads with the aim of creating economic opportunities for local artisans and tribal communities.
Veteran film director Anil Sharma (‘Gaddar’ series) attended the ceremony, lending industry credibility to the state’s filmmaking ambitions.
The state government has pledged 150 million rupees ($16.3 million) for the initial phase, with developer funding of 250 million to 300 million rupees ($27.2 million to $32.7 million) allocated for subsequent development phases.
“The people of the state have been demanding a film city for a long time to bring Chhattisgarh’s stories to a global audience,” Sai said at the event. “We are happy that the government will support this new world-class film city with Rs 150 million in the first phase and Rs 250-300 million in the later stages. It should take around two years to fully develop this dream project.”
Rati emphasized the facility’s positioning as a turnkey production solution. “We are trying to support filmmakers with all possible equipment and a complete ecosystem so that producers and crew from Mumbai and all over India can come to Raipur and shoot and execute everything seamlessly,” he said. “The ease of access and shooting environment will benefit filmmakers from start to finish.”
The project represents Chhattisgarh’s commitment to diversify India’s manufacturing regions beyond the established hubs of Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai, while leveraging development to boost local employment in creative industries and related sectors.
