Yeida Film City will be built in three years, says developer

Producer and film maker Boney Kapoor and developer Ashish Bhutani, who won the bid to develop the Film City project, have submitted a detailed project report (DPR) to the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development authority (Yeida) outlining the facilities that the project will have once it is ready and these include accommodation facilities for the entire crew, a golf course, entertainment zones, commercial and shopping zones, and all other facilities required to shoot an entire film under one roof, said officials in the know of the matter.

The proximity to the upcoming Noida international airport will be key in luring film makers to the Film City, said the DPR.Yeida had opened the bids on Tuesday and declared that Kapoor’s Bayview Projects and Bhutani Group had submitted the highest bid, thereby winning the rights to develop the project.

“We have sent the file to the state government for necessary approvals from the Uttar Pradesh cabinet. Once the cabinet give its approval, we will hand over the land that we acquired in Sector 21 for the project. The Film City project will not only create jobs but also boost business activities in this region,” said Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer, Yeida.

As per the DPR, the project has been divided into seven zones on 230 acres under the phase I and the remaining phases 2, 3 and 4 will be developed at a later stage. The entire project will be developed on 1,000 acres in Sector 21, near the upcoming greenfield airport in Jewar, along the Yamuna Expressway.

The administrative and creative hub will be developed and housed in a signature tower built near the entrance on 10 acres in zone 1. It will also have a theatre and an eco cinema centre, which will be accessible to the public. A film equipment mall and film market will also be developed, said the DPR.

The zone 2 will have production and studios on 60 acres, workshops, a film academy and research library accessible to students and professionals.

Zone 3 will be developed on 20 acres to accommodate staff residences, guest houses, hotels and health centres.

Zone 4 will be developed on 15 acres for facilitating the transport services, costumes, props and fabrication factories.

Zone 5 will be developed on 35 acres and will comprise workshops, merchandise, information and booking centre. Zone 6 on 20 acres land will house a film university for practical learning and grooming new talent.

Zone 7 on 70 acres will have a shopping mall, information technology hub, hotels and service apartments, said the DPR.

The Film City will also green spaces in the form of integrated theme based parks and walkways, besides trams, adequate parking and buses for travelling within the campus.

Phase 2 of the project, according to the DPR, will see the construction of cinema-themed amusement park and virtual reality adventure parks.

Phase 3 will focus on global film making, world-class film making education, global standard studios of film making, international film academy and diverse outdoor sets.

In Phase 4, the developer has promised to focus on revolutionizing with interactive and the advance film making.

“An actor or producer can land at Noida airport and travel to the Film City nearby with ease and start her project. We will offer all required services under one roof so that she can relax, work and go back only when her project is ready to release. We will offer her ultra luxury villas for accommodation, gym for workouts, commercial space for shopping and hang-out venues, besides guest houses for the crew. We will also allow visitors to watch the craft of film making in an organised manner,” said Ashish Bhutani, chief executive officer of the Bhutani Group.