Initial Comparison - Filming Locations in the States of India

This map gives a brief look into how the different states in India fare when it comes to Film Shooting locations. This points, in a way, to the "Film friendliness" of these states.

Keeping with the trend in Films in India these days, it's good to put out the disclaimers right at the outset.

The data is sourced from the recording of films, the locations where these films have been shot in India, and the various properties that Filmapia has in its database.
There will be many more locations and films that haven't yet been recorded on Filmapia. So if you know of a better source of data or want to add in more data, please Talk to Us. We would love your help in making this representative map a more accurate one.
Even with these restrictions, the current numbers do give a high-level representative picture of how and where Filmmakers prefer shooting in India - be it for creative or logistical reasons.

Without further ado, here's the map.

As expected, the major Filming hubs of Maharashtra (Mumbai), Tamil Nadu (Chennai), Andhra Pradesh/Telangana (Hyderabad) and Delhi do top the list. Bangalore, due to a strong Advertising industry and good locations pulls Karnataka into among the top states.

States like Chattisgarh and Bihar are virtually non-existent in the films made by the major industries. This is huge wake up call for these states to make their respective states more attractive for Filmmakers.

The North East states (Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh), stay off the radar as well. Though the North East has got some of the most stunning locations in India, accessibility and hence the high costs play a detterent for Filmmakers to travel to the North East. The sister states should incentivise travel and other facilities for Filmmakers, to these states.

Once the darling of pretty much all the Filming industries in India, Jammu and Kashmir has fallen off the favourites list of the Filmmakers, due to the never-ending insurgency.

With the usual hubs being busy, it is sad that the diverse beauty available in India is not used and showcased enough to its glorious potential. And the onus of improving the situation majorly depends on the State governments - improve the infrastructure, support & incentives in their respective states. Needless to say, the benefits of these improvement exercises help the states in more ways than one - be it increased tourist footfall, better positioning in a more globally connected world, and the resultant improvement in the economy.

The raw material exists. It is for the State governments to shape it, polish it and sell it effectively.