Tollywood shift: Vizag, the new hotspot for film studios

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Oct 23, 2012: One man’s loss is another man’s gain. With frequent bandhs, strikes and protests due to the Telangana agitation in and around Hyderabad, many producers, directors and film personalities are opting for setting up film studios in Vizag.

Star producer and movie mogul Ramanaidu has opened his studios on Beach Road on a hilltop in the100 acres of land allotted by the state government. The re are also reports that the entire Telugu film industry, which is now spread across Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, will very soon shift to peace loving Vizag.

Next in line is said to be megastar and Rajya Sabha member Chiranjeevi’s worldclass studio on Beach Road. Land acquisition for Chiranjeevi’s studio has begun and the entire process has been kept under wraps.

“Several film personalities are finding it difficult to set up studios in Hyderabad for various reasons. For them, Vizag offers a perfect solution with great locations, natural scenic beauty and many other attractions,” ports and infrastructure minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said.

He also added that there are many applications pending with the government seeking permission to build studios in Vizag. Construction of Chiranjeevi’s studio is expected to begin next year and will be completed within three years. The actor turned politician had already roped in international repute engineers to design the studios to make it a landmark in the city of destiny.

Nagarjuna, Balakrishna, Muralimohan, Rajamouli, Puri Jagannadh, Ramana Gogula, R.P. Patnaik, comedians Ali and M.S. Narayana have acquired huge properties in Vizag to set up studios. The favourite spots for them are Bheemili, Sagar Nagar, Kapuluppada, Rushikonda.