Explainer: Why Ramoji Film City is significant to Indian cinema
If you have been to Hyderabad, chances are, your tour guide wouldn't have let you come back without a trip to Ramoji Film City. Incredibly famous as the place where SS Rajamaouli spectacularly shot Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion, the film studio is not just the beating heart of Hyderabad, but also holds larger significance to Indian cinema. Let's learn about it.
RFC's history, vision of the founder
Incepted in 1996, RFC was founded by business magnate-film producer Ramoji Rao. Rao breathed life into this idea because he wanted a studio in India that could compete with the ones in Hollywood. "The motto was, walk in with the script and walk out with the canned film. The idea was to help filmmakers save time and production costs," an executive told Scroll.
These famous films were shot at RFC
Recognized as the world's largest film city by the Guinness World Records, the film city, spread over 2,000 acres, has been the home of about 2,500 films so far! Some of these include Spyder, The Dirty Picture, Krrish 3, Dilwale, Ra.One, Beeper, Quicksand, Sooryavansham, Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire, Chennai Express, Magadheera, Sri Rama Rajyam, and Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se.
Do you know how many tourists visit it each year?
Per its website, "[RFC] was originally conceived as an integrated filmmaking facility offering all services under one roof. The tourism potential was realized subsequently as there was a growing desire among the public to have a glimpse of the iconic locations...And the gates of Ramoji Film City were thrown open." This hub of entertainment and cinema now attracts about 1.5M tourists annually.
Here's what else to do after seeing the sets
There is a lot more you can do at Ramoji Film City in addition to seeing the film sets from Kollywood, Tollywood, and Bollywood. For instance, the film city provides an option to experience daily live shows, high-action stunts that will momentarily transport you to a film's world, theme-based food courts, and shopping boutiques, and visit the Godless temple, among other things.
RFC's frequent collaborators' opinions
Production designer Sabu Cyril, who has been associated with RFC for 20 years, says, "Ramoji Film City offers diverse filmmaking locations and infrastructure, the shots taken here can be matched to the shots anywhere from the world." Encapsulating his experience, Rajamouli believes, "It is where one can explore a variety of locations and very convenient to erect or re-create sets to suit the requirement."
Its astonishing in-house facilities for filmmakers
In addition to shooting full-length feature films, RFC is also an ideal spot for infusing life into advertisements, game shows, TV dramas, and series. Per Guinness World Records, RFC can accommodate 47 sound stages, including permanent sets for railway stations and temples. There are 50 shooting floors, a set construction facility called Maya, a storehouse of props called Parade, etc., which greatly assists filmmakers.
