Film city in Naya Raipur targets out-of-state film productions

The foundation stone for the Chitrotpala International Film City and Tribal & Cultural Convention Centre was laid last week in Naya Raipur, marking the start of a new film and convention infrastructure project in Chhattisgarh.The ceremony was attended by state ministers, legislators, senior government officials and industry representatives. Filmmaker Anil Sharma was also present.The first phase of the project will cover about 95 acres. It is being developed under the Special Assistance Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Officials said the project aims to combine film production facilities with exhibition, convention and hospitality infrastructure.Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai said the state government would support the project with Rs 150 crore in the first phase and Rs 250–300 crore in later phases. He said phase one is expected to take about two years to complete.According to the developers, it is planned as a fully equipped film city and cultural convention centre, intended to support film production, exhibitions and cultural events.Representatives from India Exposition Mart Limited (IEML) and the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) are also involved in the project. Rakesh Kumar, Chairman of IEML, and Neeraj Khanna, Chairman of EPCH, are expected to contribute to the development of an exhibition centre, convention centre, hotel, mart-cum-business showrooms, a helipad and related facilities. The project documentation states that these facilities are intended to support artisans, tribal communities, MSMEs and skilled workers.Tarun Rathi said the project aims to provide production infrastructure and equipment for filmmakers and to attract film crews from outside the state to shoot in Raipur.