CR earns over Rs 2.48 cr record revenue for tinsel town locales

In the ongoing fiscal, the Central Railway (CR) has earned the highest-ever revenue of more than Rs 2.48 crore by offering its various premises and special trains for film shootings.

It was in 2013-14, when the CR had set the record of highest-ever revenue of Rs 1.73 crore from business with the tinsel town, which now stands broken. The setting of the new record becomes more striking, given the fact that the railways managed to generate the whopping money amid Covid-19 curbs.

So far, 10 films, including six feature films, two web series, a short film and an advertisement have been shot at the CR’s premises. Of these, four movies were shot at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, which continues to be the most preferred railway location as four films were shot here during this period.

The CR earned the highest revenue of Rs 1.27 crore from the feature film ‘2 Brides’ shot at the Yeola, Kanhegaon stations and a special train for 18

days. Another feature filmed for nine days at the Adarki station, with a special train, fetched CR Rs 65.95 lakh.

Elated over the good business amid the pandemic, a CR senior officer stated, “Despite stringent Covid-19 restrictions during the last financial year 2020-21, the revenue earned was Rs 41.16 lakh.”

Apart from CSMT, a UNESCO

World Heritage railway station, the other famous shooting locations were the old Wadi Bunder yard, Adarki railway station near Satara, Yeola, Kanhegaon stations between Manmad and Ahmednagar, Dadar, Mulund RPF ground and the scenic Matheran station.

CR General Manager Anil Kumar Lahoti, said, “Initiatives to grant permission without any hassles to the production houses enabled the CR to earn record revenue from film shoots.” CR chief PRO Shivaji Sutar pointed out that many hit films like Dilwale Dulaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Slum Dog Millionaire, Rang De Basanti, among others, were filmed at CR locales.