Ramoji Film City

Ramoji Film City

Entrance to Ramoji Film City
Company type	Privately held company
Industry	Motion pictures
Founded	1996; 29 years ago (1996)
Founder	Ramoji Rao
Headquarters	Abdullahpurmet, Hyderabad , India
Parent	Ramoji Group
Website	ramojifilmcity.com

Ramoji Film City is an integrated film studio facility located in Hyderabad, India. Spread over 2,000 acres (810 ha),^[1] it is recognized as the world's largest film studio complex by the Guinness World Records.^[2][3] Established in 1996 by Telugu media proprietor Ramoji Rao, it has been described as a "city within a city" by The Guardian.^[4]

In addition to serving as a major hub for film production, Ramoji Film City is a popular thematic holiday destination, featuring a mix of natural landscapes, artificial sets, and an amusement park. Around 1.5 million tourists visit the place every year.^[5]

History

Ramoji Film City, located in Abdullapurmet on the outskirts of Hyderabad, was conceived by Ramoji Rao, a businessman, media proprietor, and film producer.^[1] Drawing inspiration from the grandeur of Hollywood studios, it was envisioned as a state-of-the-art facility for film production and a thematic destination for visitors.^[6]

Following the acquisition of land, Ramoji Rao commissioned art director Nitish Roy to design the complex. The site, which originally featured jungles and rugged terrain, was developed with a focus on preserving its natural environment and ecological features.^[7]

The first film to be entirely shot at Ramoji Film City was Maa Nannaku Pelli (1997).^[8]

Studio facilities

Ramoji Film City Entrance

The film city encompasses a wide range of sets and production facilities designed to cater to various filmmaking requirements. The site includes permanent sets such as forests, gardens, mansions, apartment blocks, hotels, a railway station, and an airport,^[9] as well as 47 sound stages for indoor filming. Additional infrastructure include a central kitchen to support film crews.^[3][10]

The facility is equipped with six hotels and provides internal transportation via vintage buses and air-conditioned coaches. Employing approximately 1,200 staff members and 8,000 agents, Ramoji Film City handles around 400–500 film productions annually across multiple Indian languages.^[9] It can accommodate up to 15 simultaneous shoots.^[9]

Tourism

Beyond its role in film production, Ramoji Film City is a major tourist destination, featuring both natural and artificial attractions.^[6] Key elements include an amusement park, gardens, and film sets from notable productions such as Baahubali (2015) and Baahubali 2 (2017). Attracting nearly 1.5 million visitors annually, the facility offers a range of experiences, including tours of film sets and thematic zones. The site is designed to provide a blend of entertainment and insight into the filmmaking process.^[11][5][9]

Gallery

• 
  A view from Ramoji Film City
• 
  A railway station set used in the film Chennai Express
• 
  Statue of Bhallaladeva from Baahubali franchise
• 
  Burasura at Fundustan fun area
• 
  Eureka fun place
• 
  Views from Ramoji Film City
• 
  Dilse Restaurant
• 
  Baahubali film set
• 
  Film sets
• 
  Railway station platform set
• 
  Film sets
• 
  A view from Main Fun area
• 
  Mock of a Rajasthan palace
• 
  Historical Bhagavatam set
• 
  Vrindavan gardens setting
• 
  Mughal Garden
• 
  Views from Ramoji Film City
• 
  Views from Ramoji Film City
• 
  Mughal Garden
• 
  A set of England
• 
  Ramoji Film City
• 
  Ramoji Film City

See also

• Telugu Cinema
• Film City, Mumbai
• Film and Television Institute of India
• State Institute of Film and Television

References

1. "About Us". Ramoji Film City. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
2. "Survey of world's biggest film facilities". The Hollywood Reporter. 30 August 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
3. "Largest film studio". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
4. Reith-Banks, Tash (29 January 2019). "Tollywood confidential: inside the world's biggest film city". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
5. Iyer, Pico (7 February 2012). "In India, the World's Largest Movie Studio—and Its Colorful Films". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
6. Nathan, Archana (6 February 2018). "At Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, everything is about show business (and not just for filmmakers)". Scroll. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
7. Reddem, Appaji (4 March 2022). "Is Telugu cinema set for a change of scene Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 September 2022. Ramoji Film City, which was built in Hyderabad in 1996 ....
8. Dasagrandhi, Madhuri (8 July 2018). "Where the magic gets unfolded". Telangana Today. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
9. Reddem, Appaji (4 March 2022). "Is Telugu cinema set for a change of scene?". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
10. "Ramoji Film City sets record". Business Line. 3 August 2005. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
11. "Ramoji Film City may lose land to ORR - Hyderabad - City". The Times of India. 6 July 2006. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2010.

External links

• Ramoji Film City
• On the Back Lot at the Other Bollywood
• History of Ramoji Film City

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