From the New Theatre of the 1930s to today’s Tollywood, Kolkata’s film industry has travelled a long way. And now the dilapidated and backdated Tollygunge studios (popularly known as Tollywood)) may soon be a thing of the past. Come April 2011 and Kolkata will have its first film city most modern and well-equipped with convertible/detachable sets —amidst lush green nature, 30 minutes off Tollygunge.

Christened the Purple Movie Town, the film city being developed by Purple Advertising Services — an arm of the Finesse Group (which owns the whitegoods brand-Finesse) — has been conceptualised and designed by the Bollywood-based national award winning art director Nitish Roy, who was engaged in designing and implementation of a number of film city projects across the country including Ramoji Film City in Hyderbad.

The Rs 40 crore (in the first phase) film city is not only targeting local film makers and television production houses, but also movie makers from Assam, Orissa, Bangladesh and most importantly the large Bhojpuri film industry. “They do not have modern infrastructure easily accessible. Besides, they will have a much higher comfort zone getting the entire production done in Kolkata, than in Mumbai or southern India, as was the norm. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for Bhojpuri film makers to get the shooting, editing, dubbing done in Mumbai for socio-political reasons,” Pritimoy Chak­raborty, chairman, Finesse Group said.

“Tollygunge studios or no studio in eastern India for that matter, offers a ready fixed location for shooting, ready to shoot interiors, proper make up rooms, overnight lodging and post production facility atta­ched to studio. Purple Movie Town would take care of all of these and much more. It will be equipped with latest technology, air-conditioned floors, sound acoustics, as many as 20 ready locations often used for shootings like temple (Gandharva style and otherwise), court, railway station and so on, ready to shoot interiors for every conceivable shooting needs like different types of homes (traditional house, modern bungalow), offices, interiors of schools, colleges, court room, police station, five-star make-up rooms with attached washrooms and dining facilities,” Nitish Roy said.

Chakraborty said that Purple Movie Town will have four studios, measuring 13584 sq ft, 3000 sq ft, 10051 sq ft and 3388 sq ft respectively. “It will also have a guest house, bungalows and different category rooms for actors, crew and all unit members with common rooms and other amenities. Post production facilities will also be provided for dubbing and editing with latest equipment along with a preview theatre — for seeing rushes as well as special shows for distributors and media,” he said.