Director Bharat Bhushan, better known by his screen name Sebastian, has drawn from the best in the South Indian film industry to transform Jabalpur into a rising hub for entertainment.
Enlisting the choreographers behind the viral sensation Oo Antava Mava from the Telugu blockbuster Pushpa and the action masters who orchestrated Allu Arjun’s iconic handcuffed fight scenes, Sebastian is spearheading an ambitious mission to train a new generation of fight directors, choreographers and make-up artists in Madhya Pradesh.
After working as an assistant director in the blockbuster Baahubali: The Beginning, Sebastian moved to Jabalpur from Hyderabad in 2019. He now has his eyes set on releasing a Telugu-Tamil action film next year and is preparing to shoot another film starring Malayalam superstar Mohan Lal, Madhavan and Vivek Oberoi.
“Since 2019… we have trained 2,000 people to build a film ecosystem in MP. Mohan Lal will begin shooting next year, and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is expected to flag off the project,” he said.
The training would go a long way in making film shooting cheaper compared to Mumbai, Delhi or Goa. Sebastian explained, “Earlier, you would have to bring in 300 crew members from Hyderabad. For the Mohanlal film, we are travelling with only 75 cast and crew members. Jabalpur acts as a central hub for many scenic locations. Since it is a tribal-focused movie, it will be shot in Dindori and Mandla.”
Sebastian is not alone. Filmmakers from Bollywood and the South Indian movie industry are making a beeline to MP as the rise of OTT platforms fuels demand for stories rooted in the heartland. Projects shot in the state include sleeper hits Panchayat and Lapataa Ladies and historical epics Ponniyin Selvan: II and Bajirao Mastani.
Over the last five years, over 450 projects, including web series, documentaries, advertisements, and films have been made in the state, thanks to its film policy where the government offers a 25 per cent subsidy and administrative support. In 2025, 50 projects will begin shooting in the state, including over a dozen South Indian films.
“People are bored of seeing dreamy foreign locations. Not everyone can afford (a life like) Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,” said Mukhesh Chhabra, a leading casting director for Bollywood. Chhabra has done casting for over 300 films and 100 web series, but his biggest achievements have been discovering new talents like Rajkummar Rao, Sushant Singh Rajput, Pratik Gandhi, and Sanya Malhotra.
“An average human connects with the story if it belongs to their lives. That’s why people are shooting in Madhya Pradesh. It’s a beautiful place where you find an amazing archetype, location and Hindi-speaking people,” Chhabra told The Indian Express.
Vikas Yadav, a director’s assistant who also worked on the web series Panchayat, said, “Panchayat started the trend of shooting in Madhya Pradesh, which revolutionised storytelling from the heartland.”
“The support of the administration, abundant resources, the locations, and friendly Hindi-speaking people are ideal for filmmaking compared to other states. When we shoot in Sehore, we face no difficulties. When other filmmakers hear about our experience, everybody now wants to shoot here,” Yadav said.
The state initially lacked a dedicated film cell, with producers only shooting quick scenes and moving on. “If we had a production house, we would have cast Shah Rukh and Salman long ago. What was missing was the government initiative,” Sebastian said.
In 2020, a comprehensive film policy was developed, incorporating input from national and international stakeholders, In 2022, the state was recognised at the National Film Awards as the best film-friendly state in India.
The state government has now proposed establishing dedicated film cities in Indore and Jabalpur. The tourism department officials are also looking toward the future of cinema through investments in AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics). Plans are underway to establish animation studios and incorporate modern technologies, such as AI, into filmmaking and increase the number of theatres in the state.
Principal Secretary Sheo Shekhar Shukla, from the MP Tourism and Culture Department, said, “We are expecting international projects to begin shooting in Madhya Pradesh. Investors have shown interest in a film city project. We are also upskilling the state drama school on National School of Drama benchmarks. Many projects like institutes for filmmaking along with animation and VFX studios are in the pipeline.”
With most filmmakers working on tight 30-day shooting schedules, clarity and efficiency are crucial. Additional district magistrate-rank officers act as nodal officers for film permissions, with IAS officers overseeing various regions to streamline processes.
“Madhya Pradesh operates with transparent policies. This approach is consistent, whether it involves established names like Karan Johar or emerging filmmakers. Importantly, the state emphasises supporting smaller filmmakers alongside big producers,” said a senior film cell official.
Deeya Chaudhary, MP’s first female line producer, has set up operations in Bhopal and is now busy getting filmmakers to shoot in the state. “Women on our crews feel safe working during odd hours and at remote locations. This is something I believe is unique to our state,” she said.
Bhopal resident Godaan Kumar, a product of the prestigious NSD from Delhi, has shot for five projects in MP that are awaiting release.
“Every production house that I visit in Mumbai, I find out that someone or the other is visiting MP to shoot a film. One of the biggest advantages is the travel time because in every city you will find different types of locations. You get the old city, new locations, forests, temples, beautiful villages. We now have many actors who never made it to Mumbai but can find work. They can be hired for 50 per cent less than Mumbai. What is required is a rigorous acting training,” he said.
The tourism department also hopes to generate employment with this push. “When production teams from Mumbai or other cities arrive, they bring their core artists and support teams, but the rest of the workforce – such as line production teams, secondary and tertiary artists, security personnel, drivers, local spot boys, and other crew members – is sourced locally. On average, a single production provides employment to 500-600 people in the state,” an official said.
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