Why Filmmakers shooting in Foreign Locations

Why Filmmakers shooting in Foreign Locations. Many Tollywood filmmakers are preferring to shoot their films in the exotic Foreign Locations. Recently Rajamouli shot important scenes for SSMB29 in Kenya and thanked the Kenyan government for the same.

Earlier Vijay Devarakonda's The Family Star, Manamey were shot in Foreign Locations. Shooting in the U.K., U.S., South Africa, Europe, Australia, Dubai, and Kenya along with other countries bring down the production costs as the governments are coming up with promotions and reimbursing 20% to 50% of the expenditure incurred on their soil.

Producer Abhishek Nama who shot Sakshyam in Grand Canyon, USA says “It is true that foreign countries partially fund Telugu films shot in their locales, easing the financial burden on producers. However, the process isn’t simple—filmmakers must tie up with local production houses, undergo audits, and clear other formalities,”

He added “Some filmmakers do sign reimbursement agreements with governments and the percentage is fixed accordingly," Rumours have it that Anil Sunkara, producer of Mahesh Babu's 1-Nenokkadine made Rs 10crs from UK government. But Anil Sunkara maintained a stoic silence while his co producer BVSN. Prasad revealed “We received a small subsidy from the U.K. for using their locations, but what impressed us more was the hassle-free shooting”—

BVSN.Prasad who shot Naannaku Prematho, Tholi Prema and Mr.Majnu in London says “Getting subsidies is not as easy as it sounds, and the final amount is modest after loads of paperwork. Our choice of locations was driven more by story demands than subsidies.”

Director Hemanth Madhukar who shot Anushka's Nishabdam in USA shares “Shooting in new environments energizes a director and enhances visual imagination. Subsidies may be an incentive, but we didn’t choose the U.S. for a few dollars.” He adds that such settings resonate with today’s audience: “Almost every Telugu family has someone working or studying abroad, so viewers feel a stronger connection with stories set overseas.”

Abhishek Nama shares “While the allure of subsidies and scenic backdrops is undeniable, filmmakers must also navigate creative restrictions that come with shooting on foreign shores.”

Subsidies are difficult to get and countries come up with their own strings asking them to shoot at prominent tourist sports and in Dubai for instance insists on script approvals, prohibits drone usage, and disallows content that portrays any community negatively. European nations, on the other hand, encourage extensive filming of iconic landmarks, sometimes offering up to 50% reimbursement.