A vibrant blend of natural beauty, heritage and modern amenities, Visakhapatnam is a filmmaker’s paradise. With its 30-kilometre marine drive, pristine beaches and a lush ecotourism park, the city offers cinematic gold at every turn. Add to that ancient temples, Buddhist heritage sites, the breathtaking ‘erramatti dibbalu’ (red sand dunes) near Bheemunipatnam, dating back 20,000 years, and the million-year-old Borra Caves, and you have a treasure trove of locations.
From the historic forts at Vizianagaram and Bobbili to the bustling film studios and training schools within the city, Visakhapatnam caters to every filmmaking need. It’s no wonder that almost every top star — from NTR and Rajinikanth to Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna — has graced its landscape. With a reputation for delivering blockbuster hits and a sentimental belief in its magic, it has firmly cemented itself as a hub for Indian cinema.
For directors like Suneel Kumar Reddy, who has shot over 10 films here, the city’s appeal lies in its versatility: “Vizag is a strategic place for filmmaking as you can find almost all the locations you need — beaches, hills, forests and almost anything in nature, within 100-km radius of the city.”
Visitors taking pictures of a ‘police station’ set created at Rama Naidu studio on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam.
| Photo Credit:
V. RAJU
He adds that the cosmopolitan nature of Visakhapatnam is a big advantage for filmmakers: “For instance, if ethnic diversity is to be portrayed in a film, the city’s vibrant mix of people provides a rich talent pool, thanks to the presence of the Eastern Naval Command Headquarters and numerous PSUs and Central government organisations here.”
Reddy goes on to explain that Visakhapatnam is the only city in Andhra Pradesh, post bifurcation, with such a cosmopolitan culture. “The people are warm and welcoming. Unlike some other places, conflicts and confrontations are rare here, which is crucial for filmmakers looking for a harmonious setting.”
Geographically, Visakhapatnam’s proximity to Odisha and West Bengal gives it easy access to various east coast locations, he points out. “No wonder, Odia and Bengali films are being made in Vizag. Directors like Jandhyala, K. Viswanath and K. Balachander popularised the scenic places in and around the city through their films since the 1970s. Films like ‘Abhilasha’ and ‘Challenge’, featuring mega star Chiranjeevi at the height of his career, were shot here and turned out to be massive hits,” he recollects.
The director, however, notes that while animation and gaming facilities are available in the city, they are far from adequate. “Green mat studios are required. Unfortunately, the film industry is not priority for any government though they know that it’s a powerful medium, and contributes immensely to the economy of the State,” he says, adding that a comprehensive film policy must be formulated and implemented.
Reddy suggests promoting the concept of ‘home stays’ to encourage homeowners and private property owners to offer their homes for film shoots. The culture of property owners renting out their homes for filming needs to be cultivated and the government should facilitate this by creating a web portal listing available ‘home stays,’ and offer incentives or concessions to motivate them, he adds.
Visitors at the sprawling Rama Naidu studio on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam.
| Photo Credit:
V. RAJU
According to prominent stage and film artiste from Visakhapatnam, N. Nageswara Rao, the north Andhra region has been a rich source of talent for the film industry, producing directors, film trainers, lyricists, and actors who have established themselves in their respective fields, such as Saluri Rajeswara Rao, Puri Jagannadh, L. Satyanand, RP Patnaik, and Kulasekhar, to name a few.
“Almost all facilities are available in Vizag and the films can be made at a lesser cost. The maximum number of makeup artists in the Telugu film industry are from Narsipatnam. The government has to officially announce Vizag as a film hub for Andhra Pradesh, and take concrete measures in that direction,” he says.
Rama Naidu Studios, perched on a lush green hill in the city, offers a stunning panoramic view of Beach Road and the sea. Spanning a 35-acre property, the studio is equipped with two halls, a middle-class housing colony, six makeup rooms, eight suite rooms, and a ‘Museum of Cinema’. The studio’s well-maintained roads, a temple and meticulously landscaped surroundings complete its picturesque setting.
Inaugurated in 2008 by then chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the studio is currently undergoing renovation. “We are revamping an old structure to open a café on Valentine’s Day next month, for tourists and visitors,” says P. Vamsi Shankar, the studio manager. “The Rajinikanth-starrer ‘Coolie’ is being shot in Vizag, with a few scenes filmed at our studio and some more scheduled in the next few days.”
Andhra University (AU), which introduced the first university-level course in theatre arts in India during the 1960s, has made significant contributions to the industry, producing many talented artistes, notes P. Bobby Vardhan, a retired head of the university’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication. “Outdoor shoots have been taking place in Vizag for decades, continuing even after the bifurcation of the State,” he adds.
Visitors at the Rama Naidu studio on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam.
| Photo Credit:
V. RAJU
Film trainer L. Satyanand, who has been mentoring aspiring artistes through his training institute in the city since decades, has helped shape the careers of stars like Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu. For the industry to thrive further in Vizag, a few big stars need to settle in the city, setting a trend for others to follow, he had said in an earlier interaction with The Hindu.
Although discussions about establishing a film industry hub in Vizag have been ongoing for over 15 years, the demand for such a base has intensified since the bifurcation of the State in 2014. While both the Telugu Desam Party government post-bifurcation and the YSRCP government, which came into power in 2019, have made some attempts, not much has materialised.
During the pre-release event of Waltair Veerayya at Andhra University grounds in January 2023, Chiranjeevi announced plans to settle in Vizag, sharing that his house was being constructed near Bheemunipatnam Beach Road. This announcement sparked excitement among the attendees and reignited hopes among those who have long dreamed of Vizag becoming a film industry hub.
Recently, a dispute between the Telangana government, led by A. Revanth Reddy, and the film industry elites in Hyderabad has fueled discussions about the potential shift of the film industry to Vizag. Some within the industry believe that Vizag can be developed parallelly with Hyderabad, providing filmmakers an alternative choice of location.
This could also allow Andhra Pradesh to receive its share of taxes and revenue generated by the Telugu film industry. Industry sources indicate that the Chandrababu Naidu government is keen on this initiative.
Meanwhile, Sagi Sree Hari Varma, a budding director from Visakhapatnam who has studied filmmaking at USC Cinematic Arts, California, and the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in Russia, has big ambitions to bring cutting-edge ‘virtual production’ technology to the city, a technique he came across during his time at Disney Studios in 2019.
“This technology uses 20 x 60-foot LED screens as backdrops for shoots, creating live visuals that immerse actors in a realistic environment. The biggest advantage is that the visual effects are rendered and captured in real-time on camera, eliminating the need for integrating them during the post-production stage,” he explains.
Published – January 25, 2025 08:31 am IST
