Gujarati filmmakers root for hiring local talent to become self reliant

An average Gujarati film crew comprises 30 technicians/crew members hired from Mumbai, in addition to rental charges for sound and camera equipment. Taking care of travel, accommodation, food and fee of the crew from Mumbai takes up a massive chunk of a film’s budget. Says filmmaker Hrutul Patel, “Our budgets shoot up because we hire manpower from Mumbai.If we hire locally, besides saving time and money, we will also create a pool of local talent.”
If a film requires reshoots, repackaging of sound, dubbing or re-recording music, it is a huge task for the local filmmakers. “A lot of back and forth happens especially if we need to reshoot or rework anything in the post-production stage. We can save that hassle if we go local,” says filmmaker Kirtan Patel, who is currently dubbing for his next in a studio in Vadodara.