Discover Bollywood & Film City

Bollywood is Mumbai's Hindi-language film industry; Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, commonly called Film City, is one of the working production complexes associated with it. The Government of Maharashtra corporation established the complex at Goregaon in 1977 and renamed it for filmmaker Dadasaheb Phalke in 2001.

This is not a theme park or an open studio lot. Sound stages, outdoor sets, workshops and production offices exist to make films and television. A visitor can enter only through an authorised tour or other confirmed arrangement, and access to a particular set or live shoot is never guaranteed.

The useful distinction is between an industry and a site: Film City can illustrate how screen worlds are built, but it cannot represent all of Bollywood's history, labour or creative life by itself.

The campus is an adaptable production landscape, not one finished architectural composition. Enclosed sound stages sit alongside outdoor locations, service roads, workshops and spaces that can be dressed for different stories.

Sets privilege the camera's view. A convincing frontage may conceal bracing or a shallow interior; another set may be complete enough for actors, lights and sound equipment to work around it.

Technical infrastructure matters as much as scenery. Access, power, acoustic control, storage and movement between stages explain why a production campus works differently from a public monument.

The first development created numbered studios within a large Goregaon site where indoor and outdoor production could be supported together. The plan was functional: stages needed vehicle access, workshops, equipment movement and enough separation for several productions.

During the 1990s, more studios and a communications centre expanded that base. Outdoor locations and standing sets have continued to change because their value lies in reuse and adaptation rather than permanent architectural completeness.

The complex therefore evolves through production needs. A visitor sees a mixture of durable infrastructure and temporary surfaces, with current filming determining which routes can be used safely.

Is Film City the same as Bollywood?

No. Bollywood is an industry; Film City is one working production complex within Mumbai.

Can visitors walk in freely?

No. Entry requires an authorised, currently confirmed arrangement.

Will a tour see live filming?

Not necessarily. Production and security determine what is accessible.

What is its official name?

Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, commonly called Film City.

When was it founded?

The operating corporation was incorporated on 26 September 1977.