'It's a pain to shoot in Mumbai'

Tired of running about for outdoor shooting permissions for his film, Sanjay Gupta plans to build a studio in Gujarat

Exasperated with issues related to permissions for shooting in Mumbai, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has dropped his plan of building a film studio near the city. He now feels Gujarat is an ideal location for his upcoming studio.

Last week, Gupta, along with his cast and crew, was shooting for his forthcoming film, Shootout at Wadala, at Dhobi Ghat. “To shoot at any outdoor location in Mumbai, we’ve to get permissions from five different government bodies. In spite of that, we’re allowed to shoot only on Sundays in the so-called sensitive areas. All of Mumbai is out on the roads relaxing and lounging around on Sundays. We are not even allowed to take aerial shots of the city from helicopters.

So, to shoot Anil Kapoor at Dhobi Ghat from the top, I had to employ a 200-feet crane. My cameraperson had to clamber up awkwardly and dangerously to get that shot.”

Gupta feels the city is going the Los Angeles way. “It become a struggle for Hollywood’s filmmakers to shoot in LA. Vancouver in Canada has become a substitute for LA.”

Gupta says it is not just about permissions, but also about political parties who often create problems.

“They have the liberty to barge in on any set and stop the shooting. I bought some land in Karjat to build a studio. But now, it seems Gujarat is the place to go. They welcome us with open arms.”u00a0

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