In New Delhi, the producer was on hand to offer some kudos to Narendra Modi while also letting it be known that work on Mom 2 has been underway in a low key way. It is the first film to come out of the International Film City on the Yamuna Expressway, not far from Greater Noida. If you are into your politics and your movies, this is a story for you.
Strong words on leadership, stronger sentiment
You won’t find any fence-sitting from the old hand. He put it plainly: he is proud to be in India with the kind of firm governance they have now, and he gives the current administration credit for the way it has seen through some rough patches.
For those in the room in the capital, he put it like this:
– ‘PM Modi is an achiever’ who has ‘led the country well’
– People are ‘protected and well protected’ these days
He was specific about it, too, citing Covid, the war, Operation Sindoor, Pulwama, Uri – and how even today’s climate is being put in order. In his view, there is no mistaking what the Prime Minister has done for the country and for the rest of the world.
Mom 2 takes off at a brand-new address
Step away from the podium and the producer is in work mode. The follow-up to the 2017 Sridevi hit is already on the ground, and it is the very first to be shot at the new International Film City up by the Yamuna Expressway.
Girish Kohli, the scribe behind the original, is in the director’s chair for this one. With Akshai Puri, Kapoor is running the show, and they have Vijayan from the South on action duty – someone Kapoor will tell you is top of his game.
The casting is a mix of things. You have Jishu the Bengali coming on board and Karishma Tanna in a key part. Then you have the memory of 2017, when Sajal Aly and Sridevi were on screen together and made quite an impression.
Inside the Film City blueprint
Kapoor was also ready to talk up the International Film City. His take is to make something of an ecosystem, not just a few backlots. He wants a place with some heft to it.
There will be a theme park and other bits of fun for the public, on top of the soundstages. It is meant to be a catch-all for film, OTT, TV and the like. They are even planning for podcast sets and a proper media centre.
The idea is right there on the table.
If you’re in the entertainment or media game, you should be able to put down roots there. That’s Kapoor’s way of making a production campus a place people want to be.
An OTT freebie to get things moving
He put out a headline offer to have some of the creative types come on in: for now, an OTT can put a project in front of a camera at the Film City and not put a dime down for it. There is a condition to it, and he was open about that.
The deal is for this set only, which he has a way of calling their lucky charm with a wry smile. The thinking is simple: let them have a feel for what we’ve put in place, tell your friends, and make some noise about the new hub.
Here’s the bottom line on the no-charge policy:
– It’s for the set as it stands.
– Think of it as an open door for OTT to put us to the test.
A public thank you and a bit of skin in the game
In his parting words, Kapoor was effusive in his thanks to God, to Yogi Adityanath and to PM Modi for letting him have a hand in the Film City. He sees it as a chance to put something back, and to make it count.
You can hear the drive in his voice when he talks about it. This isn’t just a spot to make one movie; he wants to see it become a home base where you can have a technician from here, an actor from there, and any kind of creator all in one room.
When Kapoor puts in a word for the Prime Minister, it’s more than small talk. For the viewer, it’s a window into how the film world is looking at India’s place in the world and the kind of security and pride that comes with it.
What it means for the rest of us
As for the industry, Mom 2 is the first to put it to the test. Being the one to walk in the front door of the International Film City has its perks, but if the place is good for business, the rest will be in line.
Then there’s the business side of it. A little nudge to the OTT side of the market, which is all about being quick off the mark. You get a couple of high-profile shows to start rolling, and the Film City will be on its way even before we have everything up and running.
Kapoor had a lot to say, from the flag to the final cut, but he was focused on results. He’ll be the first to tell you that leadership has held the line in hard times, and he’s putting his money on new facilities to do the same for Indian stories.
In short
Come for the politics or the cinema, it’s all about what’s next. An ‘achiever’ in the capital, a first-mover on the Yamuna Expressway, a sequel with some new faces and the old magic – it’s all coming together.
