Roll camera, action: Film City to host its first shoot in March

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh's international film city, coming up in Jewar, is set to host its first major film shoot with Mom-2, an official spokesperson said on Thursday."Preliminary preparations for the shoot began at the site, with land mapping currently underway," officials associated with the project said, adding, "the shooting set is expected to be ready within 20 days of completion of the mapping exercise. Filming is likely to commence by the end of Feb or early Mar."To note, the international film city is being developed in Sector-21 along the Yamuna Expressway by Bayview Bhutani Film City Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between filmmaker Boney Kapoor and the Bhutani Group. The developer already signed an agreement with the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), and work gained momentum after approval of the layout plan. Rajeev Arora, general manager of the Bayview Bhutani Film City project, said that while preparations for the film shoot are underway, the construction process of the film city will also begin simultaneously."Once the mapping is complete, the set will be developed in about 20 days, allowing film-related activities to start. The formal foundation-laying ceremony is likely to be held soon by the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister," he said.Boney Kapoor's production house produced the 2017 film Mom, and choosing UP for the sequel's shoot is being seen as a strong endorsement of the state's film policy and infrastructure push.The film city, located close to the upcoming Jewar International Airport, is envisioned as a world-class facility with modern infrastructure and seamless connectivity. The state govt aims to attract films, OTT platforms and web series to UP.Industry experts believe that beginning film shoots even before the project's formal launch signals growing confidence of the film industry in Uttar Pradesh's evolving entertainment ecosystem.