Decentralisation of the Hindi Film and Serial Industry beyond Mumbai

Glories to Aadyanagha Mahadevi and Duranteshwar Mahadev 🙏!

For decades, the dream of "making it" in the Indian film and television industry has been synonymous with a one-way ticket to Mumbai. From the sprawling sets of Film City to the production offices of Andheri, Mumbai has held a monopoly on the Hindi entertainment world. But as we move further into the 2026, it is becoming increasingly clear that this centralization is no longer a sign of strength — it’s a systemic failure.

Film City in Kolkata

The High Cost of a "Centralized" Dream

The "Mumbai-only" model has created a set of challenges that affect everyone from the spot boy to the lead actor:

i. Infrastructure Collapse & Overcrowding: Mumbai is bursting at the seams. The influx of thousands of hopefuls every month puts an unsustainable strain on the city’s transport and housing.

ii. The Cost of Living Barrier: The exorbitant rents in areas like Bandra or Andheri act as a 'barrier'. Many brilliant writers and artists from humble backgrounds are priced out of the industry before they even get an audition, simply because they cannot afford to live in the city.

iii. A Breeding Ground for Exploitation: When an entire industry is concentrated in a few square miles, power rests in the hands of a small circle. This lack of alternative hubs creates a 'desperation' economy where newcomers are more vulnerable to the casting couch, wage theft, registration fees frauds, artist card frauds and toxic work environments because they feel they have nowhere else to go.

iv. Creative Stagnation: When stories are only told by people living in the same Mumbai bubble, the content becomes "urban-centric." Decentralization would allow for authentic, grassroots storytelling from the soil of different states.

The Blueprint for a Distributed Creative Industry 

Decentralisation doesn't mean abandoning Mumbai ; it means elevating it to one of many thriving nodes in a national network. This model can:

i. Reduce strain on Mumbai by distributing economic activity. Overcrowding in Mumbai will be reduced which will further lower issues like traffic jams and higher lifestyle costs.

ii. Lower production costs through regional incentives and lower overheads.

iii. Empower local economies by creating skilled jobs and ancillary businesses.

iv. Enrich storytelling by tapping into local lore, landscapes, and talent.

v. Build resilience against localized disruptions.

vi. Make things easy for many aspiring actors, artists as they would not need to spend time and efforts in going to Mumbai. They can get quicker acting opportunities, avoiding delays that may be caused due to preparing for a lifestyle in Mumbai.

vii. Provide an assurance of safety to parents. The actor will not have to stay away from parents during the early years. This will increase the confidence of the parents and also lower any risk of frauds or casting couch.

viii. Provide higher employment opportunities leading to reduction in unemployment. 

ix. Lowering stress of rent payments that would have happened due to migration to Mumbai. In a decentralised film and television industry, migration risk is minimized. Actors can work in their own city.

List of Cities that should be centers for Bollywood and Tellywood 

1. Mumbai, 2. Delhi, 3. Kolkata, 4. Bangalore, 5. Mangalore 6. Chennai, 7. Hyderabad, 8. Noida, 9. Pune, 10. Chandigarh, 11. Ahmedabad, 12. Jaipur, 13. Jodhpur, 14. Kozhikode, 15. Bhopal, 16. Amravati, 17. Guwahati, 18. Dehradun, 19. Kochi, 20. Bhubaneswar, 21. Amritsar, 22. Gurugram, 23. Udaipur, 24. Darbhanga, 25. Jajpur, 26. Lucknow, 27. Kanpur, 28. Raipur, 29. Indore, 30. Nagpur, 31. Patna, 32. Mysore, 33. Shimla, 34. Digha, 35. Darjeeling, 36. Manali, 37. Agra, 38. Jammu & Kashmir, 39. Vishakhapatnam, 40. Thiruvananthapuram, 41. Coimbatore, 42. Vijaywada, 43. Gwalior, 44. Ajmer, 45. Panaji, 46. Ranchi, 47. Siliguri, 48. Ladakh, 49. Shillong, 50. Imphal

The Path Forward: Policy & Mindset Shifts

To make this a reality, concerted efforts are needed:

i. Incentive Schemes: State governments must offer competitive tax breaks, subsidies, and single-window clearance for productions.

ii. Infrastructure Investment: Develop world-class, affordable studio complexes, sound stages, and post-production facilities in key nodes.

iii. Skill Development: Establish regional film institutes and workshops to build local technical and acting talent pools.

iv. Digital Connectivity: Leverage high-speed internet for cloud-based collaboration, allowing editing, VFX, and writing teams to work from anywhere.

v. Showcase Success: Encourage big-banner productions to shoot major portions outside Mumbai, setting a trend.

Conclusion

The decentralisation of the Hindi film and serial industry is not a radical idea - It's an evolutionary necessity. By building a distributed network of creative hubs, we can alleviate the immense pressure on Mumbai, democratise opportunity, and most importantly, unleash a richer, more authentic wave of Indian storytelling that truly represents our nation's diversity. This shift can transform India's cultural economy from a single shining star into a dazzling constellation, where talent from Jaipur to Jodhpur, from Hyderabad to Shillong, can contribute to the global narrative without having to conquer Mumbai first. The future of Indian cinema isn't about leaving Mumbai behind; it's about building a bigger, more inclusive dream that belongs to all of India.

Thanks and Regards,

The Aadyanagha Foundation.