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Entry gate of Filmistan Studio near Goregaon(West)

Indian Cinema celebrating 100 years – The Filmistan Studio- Unforgettable platform for many Bollywood stars.

(Text & Photo: S.S.Dogra from Mumbai)

The Filmistan Studio is located near Swami Vivekanand Road at Goregaon (West), Mumbai. One of the oldest film studios, Filmistan was set up by stalwarts like Ashok Kumar and producer Shashadhar Mukherjee in 1943-44. Even Millennium Star Amitabh Bachchan started his career from here only. This is also the studio where Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai shot their first movie together. Rest is the history. Blockbusters like Shaheed, Zanjeer, Kalia to films like Black, Om Shanti Om and Ra.One alongwith TV shows like Indian Idol and Nach Baliye have been shot here.

Police station - Jail of Filmistan Studio

Presently, it is owned by Sh. Tola Ram Jalan & his son Mr. Anil Kumar along with Mr.Jasraj Purohit (Senior Manager) taking care of. The shooting of more 125 hindi movies were shot here. In this studio, the films on different themes like Social issues, patriotism, fantasy, historical, Crime, love story, comedy etc. were shot. Way back in 1944, CHAL CHAL RE NAU JAWAN-casting Ashok Kumar & Naseem was the first film shot in Filmistan. After it has become a historical studio in bollywood film industry. In 1946, SHIKARI (star cast-Ashok Kumar, Veera & Pran), TUMSA NAHI DEKHA(starring Shammi Kapur, Amita & Pran) directed by Nasir Hussain in 1957, NAGIN (star cast: Pradeep Kumar & Vaijantamala), NADIYA KE PAR (Dilip Kumar & Kamini Kaushal) directed by Kishor Sahu in 1948, DEVDAS by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, KUCH KUCH HOTA(Shahrukh Khan), KHABI KHUSHI KHABI GAM, TAAL, PRADESH by Subhash Ghai, Rawan produced & Directed by Sharukh Khan, YAMLA PAGLA DIWAWNA etc. are few superhit movies produced here. Film based on famous boxer Mericom by Sanjay Leela Bhansali are still under process here.

Amitabh Potrait - Temple of Filmistan Studio

Even popular TV serial JHALAK DIKHLA JA (telecasting at Colours TV channel) under the banner of BBC World wide shooting is continued here. The Senior Production Manager Abdul Rof informed our representatives that they have weekly schedule for their TV show in which 2days are meant for fixing up of set, 2days for lighting & technicians, and one day for rehearsal and one day for shooting. TV serial AUM JI KI GALI for SAB TV & CHANDER GUPT MAURYA of Sagar Art Production have been on the floor of Filmistan.

As per Mr.Randhir Singh (Senior Supervisor of Filmistan Studio) who belongs to Forbishganj, Patna, Bihar, working with the studio for the last twenty years. He claims that we have around 4 and half acre land area with six floors in all. The police station, Village, Central Jail, Temple are the permanent feature of this studio.

Mr.Ranjan Giri-Security Incharge of the Studio revealed that even a single song’s shooting takes around 20-25 days because 15 days needs for setting up a set, 6days for shooting and 3days for dismantling the set.

Garden of Filmistan Studio where songs of different films were shoot , Mumbai

Even young & passionate Art Director-Urvi Ashar was also busy in the Filmistan Studio with her crew members who were setting up a set for their upcoming hindi Movie-Rising Sun. She also worked in famous hindi movie Vicky Donors. She has done hundreds of commercial ad films. She also interacted with our senior correspondent and in brief discussion she shared few experiences. She is born in Muscat but always wants to do something innovative & creative so choose the direction field in the film industry. Moreover, she is fond of extensive travelling, meet different people with different culture & language, to overcome various challenges and eager to adopt new & exciting things in life all these qualities motivated her to adopt such profession in the life. She started her career of Art Direction under Sumit Basu ji who is a famous Art Director in the film industry. She assisted him for around five years and got good experiences and able to do her work independently. She has almost completed ten years in direction line in Mumbai.

If Indian Cinema is celebrating 100 years then we cannot forget The Filmistan Studio. This has given the opportunities to several artists to flourish on the silver screen. So it is rightly said that this is really an Unforgettable platform for many bollywood stars.

(Our Managing Editor Sh.S.S.Dogra was on an official visit to Bollywood where he visited film studio, took interviews of different artists, visited prestigious Mumbai Press Club, met with, Editors/Journalists, Destinations etc.)