Maharashtra has launched a dedicated film-tourism brand to promote the state’s shooting locations in India and abroad under a five-year agreement between the Tourism Department and the Maharashtra Film, Theatre and Cultural Development Corporation. The initiative is intended to give film locations a unified identity and connect them with tourism promotion.
The agreement was exchanged during the 49th anniversary programme of Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari. It is being implemented under the guidance of Tourism Minister Shambhuraj Desai and Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar. Directorate of Tourism director Vikas Panसare and Maharashtra Film, Theatre and Cultural Development Corporation managing director Swati Mhase-Patil were present for the exchange of the memorandum of understanding.
Under the agreement, the state will develop and promote the ‘Maharashtra Film Tourism’ brand through domestic and international film festivals, tourism exhibitions, roadshows and other market-facing platforms. The stated objective is to establish Maharashtra as a major national and international destination for film tourism by giving its filming locations greater visibility.
The programme will also create a system to make information about filming locations more easily available to producers, directors and location managers. This is intended to support film professionals searching for suitable locations across the state and to improve access to information about places that have already featured in films.
The corporation’s film cell will identify important filming locations where standardised commemorative plaques, information boards and selfie points will be installed. Digital information at these sites will explain which films were shot there, provide historical context and outline nearby tourism attractions.
The proposed visitor-facing infrastructure gives the initiative a role beyond film promotion. By marking filming sites and linking them with information about surrounding attractions, the programme seeks to turn locations associated with cinema into identifiable tourism assets. The supplied announcement, however, does not specify the number of locations to be covered, the project budget, the installation schedule or the digital platform through which the information will be provided.
The agreement brings tourism marketing and the state’s film-sector institution into a common promotional framework. Its implementation will depend on the identification of locations, preparation of verified historical and film-related information, coordination with local authorities and the delivery of the promised signage and digital facilities. The announcement does not provide further details on these operational arrangements.
The state has said the brand will be promoted through film and tourism events in India and overseas. The next stages will involve developing the common identity, making location information accessible to industry professionals and installing visitor infrastructure at locations selected by the corporation’s film cell.
