Ramoji Film City

Ramoji Film City opened in 1996 on some 2,000 acres outside Hyderabad and since 2005 has held the Guinness record as the largest studio complex in the world by area. Its selling point to producers is completeness: sets covering airports, railway stations, temples, hospitals, village streets, gardens and European facades, plus sound stages, costume, props, post-production and accommodation, so a crew can shoot an entire film without leaving. Dozens of productions run simultaneously. For visitors it operates as a theme park, with bus tours of the sets, live stunt and dance shows, rides and gardens, and it draws large numbers of domestic tourists.

History

Ramoji Film City was conceived by the media proprietor and film producer Ramoji Rao, inspired by Hollywood studios, and designed by the art director Nitish Roy on a site of jungle and rugged ground. It was established in 1996, the first film shot entirely there was Maa Nannaku Pelli in 1997, and in 2005 Guinness World Records recognised it as the world's largest film studio complex (Wikipedia, Ramoji Film City).

What you'll find

• The standing sets - airports, stations, streets and facades built permanently.
• The bus tour - the standard circuit of the accessible parts of the complex.
• The live shows - stunt, dance and film-making demonstrations.
• The working productions - shoots visible in progress at a distance.

When to go

October to March; the site is largely outdoors and Hyderabad summers are severe. Weekends and holidays are crowded. Overnight packages allow a fuller visit.

Before you go

This is a theme park experience rather than a studio tour; active shoots are usually not accessible. Ticketing is layered with many extras. Queues for shows and rides are long at weekends.

Nearby

Hyderabad lies west.