Patna: Bihar is fast becoming a popular shooting location for films in India. Earlier, shooting was mostly done in cities like Mumbai or Hyderabad, but now filmmakers are coming to Bihar’s villages, towns and forests. After the Bihar government introduced its film promotion policy in 2024, more filmmakers are choosing the state for their projects. Under this policy, if over 75% of a film is shot in Bihar, producers can get up to Rs 4 crore as a grant. For regional language films, the government offers up to 50% of production costs, which is higher than in other states.
Many films are now being shot in Bihar in languages like Hindi, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi and English. Director Dheeraj Kumar is shooting Bihaan, a film based on human trafficking, in Patna at places like Mahavir Mandir, Marine Drive and Gandhi Maidan. He said people earlier had doubts about Bihar, but now their perception is changing and the government is fully supporting them. The film stars actors like Khushali Kumar, Terence Lewis, Abhimanyu Singh and Tigmanshu Dhulia.
Another film, Tia, starring Darshan Kumar and Aanchal Singh, was mostly shot in Valmikinagar and nearby areas. The producer said it was his dream to show Bihar’s culture on screen. Bhojpuri films are also being shot here. The film Anmol Ghadi is being made in Samastipur and its producer Chetna Jhaam said it will promote clean Bhojpuri cinema and inspire youth towards a better path. She said it is time to give Bhojpuri language the respect it deserves.
This film policy has also given jobs to local theatre artists and youth working as actors, camera assistants and makeup artists. Recently, the film O My Dog starring Pankaj Tripathi was shot with 300 dogs, 100 ambulances and real government cadets in Patna. In total, 15 films have been approved for shooting in Bihar under the new policy. People believe if this continues, Bihar will soon become a major film hub in India.
