Inspiring Tales: My Interviews of First Generation Indian Entrepreneurs Who Made It Big -- Part 1:
A DREAM come TRUE
Published in Business For All Magazine
Sandeep Marwah – the man behind North India’s first film city
Amulti-faceted personality,
Sandeep Marwah was the brain behind
Noida’s film city - Marwah Studios - the first
of its kind in North India.
When he started the work, Sandeep Marwah
was looked down by many as a fool for
conceptualising the project but he ignored
them and his efforts paid rich dividends as the
film city has investments to the tune of
Rs 2000 crore.
Operating from the film city, Marwah Studios
has thus far been associated with the making
of over 125 feature films. His production
house churned out last year’s national award
winning film ‘I Am’ while his film school has
produced over 10,000 students – who are now
reputed Bollywood professionals. His Radio
Noida too is the first FM channel from Noida.
In an exclusive interview to Deepak Parvatiyar,
he spoke about the film city, studio, films and
himself. Excerpts:
Sandeep Marwah was the brain behind
Noida’s film city - Marwah Studios - the first
of its kind in North India.
When he started the work, Sandeep Marwah
was looked down by many as a fool for
conceptualising the project but he ignored
them and his efforts paid rich dividends as the
film city has investments to the tune of
Rs 2000 crore.
Operating from the film city, Marwah Studios
has thus far been associated with the making
of over 125 feature films. His production
house churned out last year’s national award
winning film ‘I Am’ while his film school has
produced over 10,000 students – who are now
reputed Bollywood professionals. His Radio
Noida too is the first FM channel from Noida.
In an exclusive interview to Deepak Parvatiyar,
he spoke about the film city, studio, films and
himself. Excerpts:
You are the person behind the Noida film city. How did you conceive the idea of setting up a film city here?
If I go back to my school life, I was always keen on films, television, media, theatre, cultural and co-curricular activities. I had a wonderful opportunity because my theatre director in school at that time was BV Karanth, who later became the director of National School of Drama.
I also had Nadira Babbar (then Nadira Zaheer) as my school’s drama teacher. I excelled in theatre in school and when completed my graduation, I performed in over 100 shows by different renowned directors of the country.
Unfortunately, theatre never picked up in India and there was a crisis in my life as it could not provide me a decent livelihood. Maybe, this was one of the reasons that forced me to start thinking about films and television.
I went to Mumbai in search of work but realised that it would be a long struggle to get into films or to look for a television programme.
I worked for television for a few years but realised that professional theatre too didn’t have money. Then I thought about establishing a film city. I realised that why shouldn’t we have a film city in North India. I conceived that idea and started working for it.
That was in 1986. I made the project report and went to Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Government.
Nobody understood me and I was considered a fool. Then I met the chairman of Noida and submitted my project to him. He evinced interest in the project because Noida had land and he was looking for new projects. And there it clicked.
It took almost one year for Noida authorities to submit this project to state office in Lucknow. Late Vir Bahadur Singh, who was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh at that time, liked the project and cleared it in December 1987.
However, the Noida authorities wanted more people to come forward as they were reluctant to give 100 acre land to one person and invited application from across the country.
Unfortunately there was no response. As things became difficult for the Noida authorities, I persuaded many film makers to have allotments in film city and convinced a few.
Who were these filmmakers and how did you convince them about the prospects?
Fortunately there were only 12 plots. I managed to convince Yash Chopra, LV Prasad, Puran Chandra Rao (Actor Jeetendra’s brother-in-law) Sobti, Kamleshwar, Puran Karim, Boney Kapoor, F C Mehra and Gulshan Kumar of T Series.
Besides me, they were the initial allottees of land. We were given three years to build the infrastructure and start production. The allotments were made in March 1988 and we were given time to start production by 1991.
It was a Herculean task because people did not believe me initially. They started trusting me when the whole project got clearance.
If I go back to my school life, I was always keen on films, television, media, theatre, cultural and co-curricular activities. I had a wonderful opportunity because my theatre director in school at that time was BV Karanth, who later became the director of National School of Drama.
I also had Nadira Babbar (then Nadira Zaheer) as my school’s drama teacher. I excelled in theatre in school and when completed my graduation, I performed in over 100 shows by different renowned directors of the country.
Unfortunately, theatre never picked up in India and there was a crisis in my life as it could not provide me a decent livelihood. Maybe, this was one of the reasons that forced me to start thinking about films and television.
I went to Mumbai in search of work but realised that it would be a long struggle to get into films or to look for a television programme.
I worked for television for a few years but realised that professional theatre too didn’t have money. Then I thought about establishing a film city. I realised that why shouldn’t we have a film city in North India. I conceived that idea and started working for it.
That was in 1986. I made the project report and went to Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Government.
Nobody understood me and I was considered a fool. Then I met the chairman of Noida and submitted my project to him. He evinced interest in the project because Noida had land and he was looking for new projects. And there it clicked.
It took almost one year for Noida authorities to submit this project to state office in Lucknow. Late Vir Bahadur Singh, who was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh at that time, liked the project and cleared it in December 1987.
However, the Noida authorities wanted more people to come forward as they were reluctant to give 100 acre land to one person and invited application from across the country.
Unfortunately there was no response. As things became difficult for the Noida authorities, I persuaded many film makers to have allotments in film city and convinced a few.
Who were these filmmakers and how did you convince them about the prospects?
Fortunately there were only 12 plots. I managed to convince Yash Chopra, LV Prasad, Puran Chandra Rao (Actor Jeetendra’s brother-in-law) Sobti, Kamleshwar, Puran Karim, Boney Kapoor, F C Mehra and Gulshan Kumar of T Series.
Besides me, they were the initial allottees of land. We were given three years to build the infrastructure and start production. The allotments were made in March 1988 and we were given time to start production by 1991.
It was a Herculean task because people did not believe me initially. They started trusting me when the whole project got clearance.
Suddenly I saw people reposing faith in me. But the biggest challenge was that I had to be the first one because nobody was keen on starting the studio in Noida. Everybody was waiting for someone to go ahead just to see the response and know how things were moving.
They were reluctant, I must say. So I had to go out of the way to prove myself that my initiative in starting a studio was not bad.
On March 10, 1991, I inaugurated my studio amidst pomp and show. Half of the Indian film industry was on the lawns of the Marwah Studios. And then there was no looking back. Now, it has been almost 22 years that I have been running the studio.
What were the challenges that you had to face when you started the project?
We were never rich. The initial challenge was that when I submitted the project to Noida officials, nobody knew what film city was all about. It was just one single project comprising only 12 allottees.
Though they always said that it was a feather in their cap, the film city project was never given the priority because there were about 4000 industries and 20,000 houses at that time.
Besides, there were about 25,000 more applicants to be taken care of rather than a dozen allottees in the film city. I had to make rounds to those offices to pursue the matter as if it was my own property.
They had no idea what a film studio should look like and had to depend for everything on me. I had to explain them from day one on about the project.
How could you manage resources for the project?
We were lucky because it was financed by UP State Financial Corporation. The initial investment needed was Rs 40 lakh to start with first phase. It was a huge amount but I had booking from Doordarshan for a commercial serial and also an advertisement from BPL.
Were you concerned about the commercial viability of the project?
In 1986, I was just 26 years. But I noticed that most of the successful people in the Bollywood were from North India. I also found that the people from Bombay always kept looking for new locations, new set up and new people.
So I asked why not to have a film city? I had a feeling that their inflow might go up much more than what it was then and this could give the film city its initial break. My father, who was into import business, told me he had limited resources and that I will have to work on my own and manage funds.
Initially, I joined my father and then started my own export business. That was a time when with whatever little money that I had generated, I invested in this project, took loans and had to leave everything to make this project a successful one.
It is almost 25 years when you first dreamed of the film city. How do you look at the film city now and your efforts?
They were reluctant, I must say. So I had to go out of the way to prove myself that my initiative in starting a studio was not bad.
On March 10, 1991, I inaugurated my studio amidst pomp and show. Half of the Indian film industry was on the lawns of the Marwah Studios. And then there was no looking back. Now, it has been almost 22 years that I have been running the studio.
What were the challenges that you had to face when you started the project?
We were never rich. The initial challenge was that when I submitted the project to Noida officials, nobody knew what film city was all about. It was just one single project comprising only 12 allottees.
Though they always said that it was a feather in their cap, the film city project was never given the priority because there were about 4000 industries and 20,000 houses at that time.
Besides, there were about 25,000 more applicants to be taken care of rather than a dozen allottees in the film city. I had to make rounds to those offices to pursue the matter as if it was my own property.
They had no idea what a film studio should look like and had to depend for everything on me. I had to explain them from day one on about the project.
How could you manage resources for the project?
We were lucky because it was financed by UP State Financial Corporation. The initial investment needed was Rs 40 lakh to start with first phase. It was a huge amount but I had booking from Doordarshan for a commercial serial and also an advertisement from BPL.
Were you concerned about the commercial viability of the project?
In 1986, I was just 26 years. But I noticed that most of the successful people in the Bollywood were from North India. I also found that the people from Bombay always kept looking for new locations, new set up and new people.
So I asked why not to have a film city? I had a feeling that their inflow might go up much more than what it was then and this could give the film city its initial break. My father, who was into import business, told me he had limited resources and that I will have to work on my own and manage funds.
Initially, I joined my father and then started my own export business. That was a time when with whatever little money that I had generated, I invested in this project, took loans and had to leave everything to make this project a successful one.
It is almost 25 years when you first dreamed of the film city. How do you look at the film city now and your efforts?
I feel proud today and say that Noida Film City is the fastest growing film city in the world. Today, 350 channels telecast programmes 24X7 every day to 162 countries from this place.
There are 16 players now besides the ancillaries and all of them are doing very well. There are over 17,000 people who work in three shifts. If I am not wrong, there is almost Rs 2000 crore investment in the film city and ancillaries.
I am happy that I could create a name for myself, the film city and Marwah Studios as well. When it comes to Marwah Studios, it has churned out 4500 television programmes for more than 50 channels.
Besides, it has also associated with around 125 feature films and about 5000 training films. We have also produced 1800 short films and churned out 10,000 media professionals from 90 countries including India in the last 22 years.
We promoted many film makers and the Marwah Studios also became the maternity hospital for many channels. For example, Zee was born from Marwah Studios, so was Sahara, Pragya, Mahua, NDTV, Star News and ETV, who all started their businesses from Marwah Studios and became giants of their own.
How beneficial has the film city turned out to be for Sandeep Marwah, the individual?
Because of my hard work, I was honoured with an honorary MBA from Oxford Business College in the UK. I have been honoured by the Government of Wales as its Ambassador in India while the United Nations honoured me by nominating me as the International Human Rights Ambassador. I have received more than 150 awards from all over the world.
I am also on the board of the Film Federation of India and recently Mewar University bestowed upon me doctorate for my dedication towards films, television and media.
I have achieved much more than what I had thought of. Be it in terms of recognition, in terms of acceptance of the film city in North India.
The film city in fact has become the biggest media city in North India with most of the media houses making it their preferred destination, be it Zee, Doordarshan, CNN IBN, India Today group, Indian Express, and so on.
I also started the first FM radio station in the city and ventured into education. Ours was the first private film school in the country that I started in 1993 and it is now among the 10 best film schools in the world.
As producer of feature films, which are the films that you are proud of getting associated with?
We have produced films like Coffee House which went to the Cannes film festival. We have produced another film I Am which got the national award for best film last year. Recently we have completed Riyasat, which is the last feature film of late Rajesh Khanna.
There are 16 players now besides the ancillaries and all of them are doing very well. There are over 17,000 people who work in three shifts. If I am not wrong, there is almost Rs 2000 crore investment in the film city and ancillaries.
I am happy that I could create a name for myself, the film city and Marwah Studios as well. When it comes to Marwah Studios, it has churned out 4500 television programmes for more than 50 channels.
Besides, it has also associated with around 125 feature films and about 5000 training films. We have also produced 1800 short films and churned out 10,000 media professionals from 90 countries including India in the last 22 years.
We promoted many film makers and the Marwah Studios also became the maternity hospital for many channels. For example, Zee was born from Marwah Studios, so was Sahara, Pragya, Mahua, NDTV, Star News and ETV, who all started their businesses from Marwah Studios and became giants of their own.
How beneficial has the film city turned out to be for Sandeep Marwah, the individual?
Because of my hard work, I was honoured with an honorary MBA from Oxford Business College in the UK. I have been honoured by the Government of Wales as its Ambassador in India while the United Nations honoured me by nominating me as the International Human Rights Ambassador. I have received more than 150 awards from all over the world.
I am also on the board of the Film Federation of India and recently Mewar University bestowed upon me doctorate for my dedication towards films, television and media.
I have achieved much more than what I had thought of. Be it in terms of recognition, in terms of acceptance of the film city in North India.
The film city in fact has become the biggest media city in North India with most of the media houses making it their preferred destination, be it Zee, Doordarshan, CNN IBN, India Today group, Indian Express, and so on.
I also started the first FM radio station in the city and ventured into education. Ours was the first private film school in the country that I started in 1993 and it is now among the 10 best film schools in the world.
As producer of feature films, which are the films that you are proud of getting associated with?
We have produced films like Coffee House which went to the Cannes film festival. We have produced another film I Am which got the national award for best film last year. Recently we have completed Riyasat, which is the last feature film of late Rajesh Khanna.
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