Reel Romances to Real Estate: Why the Fate of RK Studio is a Worrying Sign for Old Film Studios in India

Unlike Hollywood, which is a Los Angeles neighborhood, Bollywood is not a place. It has no physical presence or PIN code. It is an idea, an industry of creators, a representation of Hindi cinema, which produces the greatest number of films in the world. But where are you going when you want to visit Bollywood? Of course, there are places of pilgrimage such as the sumptuous palace of Shah Rukh Khan, Mannat at the end of the world or the mansions of Bachchans, like Jalsa and Pratiksha in Juhu. There are also Galaxy apartments on Bandstand, in front of which Salman Khan fans line up for bhai sightings.

But real Bollywood totems in the real world, the places that make Mumbai synonymous with Bollywood, are movie studios, where filming takes place, actors learn to become stars, and movies and magic are made. It is there that Bollywood exists in the most real sense, in the physical realm.

Mumbai is home to some of the country's most iconic film studios, some of which date back to the time when the Indian film industry entered the market. existence. However, from year to year, the old Mumbai studios slip into oblivion or are reduced to wedding halls, events, television or pub shoots, or worse yet, become deciduous and are finally sold.
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Recently, RK Studio – which the Kapoors had put on sale last year in August – was purchased by Godrej Properties. Following the takeover of Godrej Properties, they would build residential complexes on a portion of the 2.2 acre studio lot and, on the other hand, on a retail lot. The Kapoors, as well as the Godrej properties, are very pleased with the agreement, which was concluded for an undisclosed amount.
Addressing News18, Randhir Kapoor said, "They (Godrej Properties) are a very prestigious name, that's why I gave them to them (RK Studio) .I am very happy that they do something about it. " The executive director of Godrej Properties, Pirojsha Godrej, told the media that she will strive to celebrate RK Studio's outstanding heritage with the goal of providing an exceptional lifestyle for its residents.

In a few years, the high-rise residential complexes that Godrej Properties plans to build will take over the studio space where iconic films like Bobby, Mera Naam Joker and Satyam Shivam Sundaram have already been shot. From a place where epic and unforgettable novels have been made for moviegoers in India, it will be the place for the domestic bbadity of a few families who live in apartments in these residential complexes. It will probably be as forgotten as Malad Bombay Talkies is a story of stories and urban legends.

Bollywood fans have long lamented the closure of RK Studios, it's a strange feeling of loss when places like this, where memories of Bollywood were not only created, but also stored, became memories. Until 2017, RK Studio housed all RK Films' memorabilia, including costumes used in various films, Raj Kapoor's trophies, rare photos and posters, as well as many new releases. However, a big fire that year devastated much of the studio and burned all the valuable trinkets stored inside.

He is nostalgic to think that studios such as RK disappear completely or are in very different contexts. then they were in their glory days. But, what is even more alarming is that these places are an integral part of the history of Bollywood and that they disappear or slip into a state of perineal neglect, the history of Bollywood and the historicity of various events , WHY the Kapoors could not revive the RK Studios after the fire of 2017 and had finally decided to sell, there are other studios in Mumbai too, whose management is or has been involved in property battles in court. There was a battle for the property of the Mehbad studio – which was founded in 1954 and produced memorable films like Mother India – among the family members of the late founder of the studio, Mehbad Khan. Parts of the Kamal Amrohi studio estate, where the majestic film sets such as Pakeezah and Razia Sultan were built, were allegedly sold by the three children of Amrohi. A report by the Times of India indicates that the 37-hectare area that was once a no-development zone was recently declared an industrial area.

Believe it or not, the day of glory of the studios in India was actually more than 60 years ago. In the 30s and 40s, there was a host of new and upcoming studios in India, and each of them served as a unique destination for making a movie. Nowadays, even the big production houses only have offices and their films are mainly shot in real places. With astronomical budgets, no location is inaccessible and the sets are often built in already existing studios.

In addition, equipment is mainly rented and technicians contracted. The production houses change team for each film as needed, so that the studio shooting model, as it existed at the time, became completely obsolete. In fact, most of the older studios now only serve as filming locations and have little to do with the films that have been filmed there. Like everything else, the cinematic nature of Bollywood is ephemeral and the sale of the RK studio may only restore the fact that Bollywood's style and cinematographic practices evolve over time. It also tells us that there may be a day when the studios will become residential complexes like RK, or will exist as ruins of the past, like Bombay Talkies but, in the inimitable words of Raj Kapoor , "the show must continue" and that the studios continue to exist or not, he will do it.

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