Hyderabad city is indeed a blessed city. There are rarely any cities like Hyderabad which are centers of art, culture, religion, multi-ethnicity, IT and technology.
In addition to this, it is also home to the world’s largest film studio complex, the RAMOJI FILM CITY Hyderabad.
Our own answer to the Universal Studios Hollywood, the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad is a director’s dream. As people rightly say, one can walk in here with a script and walk out with a movie. The film studio complex, which stretches over an area of 1666 acres, has made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for its records. This massive film city houses a never-ending and unimaginable range of sets. There are old palaces, usually used for mythological and historical sets, modern airports, railway stations, hospitals, many kinds of gardens and fountains, hills, vales, buildings, a Hawa Mahal model, miniature Golconda, a nursery and much more.
Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City took 6 years to be built and was inaugurated in 1996. It is named after its builder, an Indian film maker Ramoji Rao. More than 80 movies have been shot in Ramoji Film City in languages like Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Bangla, Marathi and Kannada. Regularly, Indian television shows are also filmed in Ramoji.
To visit the Ramoji Film City, leave early as it is situated 50 kms away from Hyderabad. Ensure you reach by 9.30, as that is when the opening ceremony starts. This is usually missed by many as people are unaware of the early timings. Two types of tickets are available. Take the non-expensive, non AC bus tickets, as anyway travelling in buses in negligible. And the doubled cost of the other ticket, that includes food doesn’t compensate with the add-ons. Own food is not allowed inside, so don’t carry it. Ensure you start out with your caps and sunglasses for the Hyderabad sun. The beautiful attraction at the RFC is the huge number of gardens there; the guide says there are 124 (though this figure is a little exaggerated). Mughal Garden of Delhi, Shell Garden, Arizona style Cactus Garden, Thinking man’s Garden and Japanese Park are some of the many gardens. These parks are planned to be setting for showing movies in international locales. If you want to cover the entire film city on the same day, it is better not to spend much time in these parks. If you are a stress-free explorer or are a much-in-love Honeymoon couple and won’t mind a second trip to cover the missed half, go ahead, these parks are all yours.
Many tree lines pavements are generally used as institutional sets. There are highways, where one can change the milestone and transport actors and actresses on screen to various locations, seated right there in RFC, Hyderabad. A setting of Buddhist caves grabs your interest and is an appealing one where idols come out from the walls of the caves to dance. There are a variety of scenes that can be shot in the Ramoji Film City like, village scenes, market scenes, city scenes, hospital scenes, railway and airport scenes, etc.
There is a set of a palace for mythological movies, which looks like it has come right out of the epic Ramayana.
Apart from these very exciting sets, edifying, instructive and attention grabbing shows are also shown. The action show, Wild West tells about the mechanics followed in the making of an action scene, while picking out volunteers from the audience. Children will enjoy segments like Fundustan, Wonderville, etc.
Some other attractions are an incentive ride of an Aircraft, Meena Bazar at Alampana, some free and some paid rides. Youthful passionate couples who want to get married the Bollywood style can also do it as RFC hires out some of its sets.
RFC is alleged for being a film studio consisting of a disciplined team. While a shoot in Mumbai does not usually start before 11 am, here in Ramoji Film City it will start at 7.30 am.
A trip to Ramoji Film City can prove to be a day long trip into a magical world. However, it may also be a disappointment to find out that the world of films is so bogus and fake. Anyways, it should not matter to discover interesting facts about behind the scenes and to roam around in beautiful locations, even though fake.
There are many private travels in Hyderabad who offer exclusive Ramoji Film City tour packages for families and couples as a part of Hyderabad Tourism special tours. Some of the Ramoji Film City tour packages also include special dinner.
Hotels in Ramoji Film City:
- Tara Hotel Ramoji Film City
- Sahara Hotel Ramoji Film City
- Sitara Hotel Ramoji Film City
- Shantiniketan Hotel Ramoji Film City
- Vasundhara Hotel Ramoji Film City
Ramoji Film City Timings: 9.00 AM to 5:30 PM All days.
Ramoji Film City Entry Fee Details:
For One Day Tour with-out-Food: Adult: Rs.1000/- Child (3-12 Yrs): Rs.900/-
For One Day Tour with-Food: Adult: Rs.2199/- Child (3-12 Yrs): Rs.1899/-
RFC Address:
Anaspur Village,
Hayathnagar Mandal,
Hyderabad, Telangana 501512
Phone: 1800 4250 9999
Attractions Near RFC:
Sanghi Temple