With an aim to promote City Beautiful as “cinematic tourist destination” and facilitate filmmakers, an online booking facility has been launched in Chandigarh.
The UT Administration on Thursday launched the online booking facility to give permission for film shootings. The online booking facility will facilitate the film-makers to make their own itinerary for film shooting as per their choice and avoid inconvenience to come to Chandigarh for prior permissions for bookings at various locations in the City Beautiful. The online booking facility has been linked with the Chandigarh Tourism website for easier facilitation.
The UT Administration had set up a Bollywood facilitation cell in 2009 to offer “Single Window system” for grant of all permissions as required for film shooting at picturesque locations in the city. The Administration also provides security and other logistic support to the film crew coming across from the country and even International borders.
In the past, the city has witnessed its fair share of films and tinsel town stars. Over a dozen of Hollywood, Bollywood, Pollywood (Punjabi cinema) movies had been shot in the picturesque locales of Chandigarh in last two years.
Hollywood’s ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ was shot at PEC University of Technology, Sector 15 and in Manimajra in the year 2012. Besides, Bollywood’s ‘Son of Sardar’ or upcoming movie ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ were also shot in the city last year.
In the past, movies like ‘Joker’ starrer Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha, ‘Mere Brother ki Dulhan’ starring Katrina Kaif and Inmran Khan, Sadian, Namaste london, Dosti, Shortcut, Fashion, Singh is King, Veer Zara were shot here and in the nearby areas of the city.
Interestingly, the City Beautiful is not only attracting the film-makers but telefilms, TV serials, albums, documentaries, Ad-films, reality shows are also being shot here now.
UT Home-cum-Tourism Secretary Anil Kumar said that the UT Tourism Department has launched an online facility for film shooting in Chandigarh. Also, the Department has introduced new Tourism product – Happening weekends of Chandigarh, said he while speaking on the sidelines of inaugural session of CII Tourism Fest on Thursday,
He said, “At CII Tourism Fest, the UT Tourism Department is not only showcasing Chandigarh’s modern architecture but also projecting the city as a destination for film shootings. The newly launched online facility for film shooting will facilitate film and TV serial makers to shoot for their films/serials in and around Chandigarh.”
A logo of “Happening weekends of Chandigarh” was launched by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj Patil. The prominent components of “Happening weekends of Chandigarh” will be shopping, fun, entertainment and accommodation, all put together in the logo.