Bollywood in MP: 4 new films, series taking shape in the state

Madhya Pradesh, with its rich heritage, diverse landscapes, and regal architecture, has increasingly become a favourite backdrop for filmmakers across the country. From bustling cities like Indore and Bhopal to the historic charm of places like Gwalior and Orchha, the state offers a cinematic canvas that’s both visually striking and culturally rooted.

Several projects in the past, such as ‘Sherni’, ‘Stree’ franchise, ‘Doctor G’, ‘Selfiee’, ‘Panchayat’, ‘Kalank’, and many others, have been shot in the state. In this listicle, we take a look at some of the most anticipated upcoming Hindi films and web series that have chosen various locations across MP to bring their stories to life.

Homebound

Director Neeraj Ghaywan’s drama film, ‘Homebound’, starring Ishan Khatter, Jahvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jetwa, was shot in and around the state capital.

One of the locations for the film’s shoot was the collectorate office in Sehore district. Apart from this, a sequence was also reportedly shot near the banks of the Betwa River on Bhopal Road in Raisen district.

Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, the film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2025, where it received a nine-minute standing ovation.

Reportedly, ‘Homebound’ revolves around two men who hail from marginalised communities and aim to become police officers.

Baaghi Bechare

An upcoming satire film directed by Sumit Purohit, ‘Baaghi Bechare’, has also been shot at various locations across Bhopal. Featuring Pratik Gandhi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Faisal Khan, the film’s Bhopal schedule was wrapped on Wednesday.

The makers also shared images from the wrap that showed the film’s director feeding a slice of cake to Abhishek. Early this month, Pratik and Faisal were also in Bhopal for the film’s shooting. Among the many locations that the film was shot at was the Raisen Fort in the Raisen district, near Bhopal.

Stree 3

Directed by filmmaker Amar Kaushik, both installments in the ‘Stree’ franchise – ‘Stree’ (2018) and ‘Stree 2’ (2024) – have been shot in MP. The film was extensively shot across various locations in the historic town of Chanderi, roughly about 210 kilometres from the state capital.

In a recent conversation with Mathrubhumi English, actor Abhishek Banerjee, who plays the role of Jana in ‘Stree’, confirmed that its third instalment will also be filmed in Chanderi. He also mentioned that the work on the third instalment is expected to start not before next year. Meanwhile, the ‘Stree’ franchise is hugely credited with bringing Chanderi onto the Indian film map.

Nikkhil Advani’s untitled next

According to local reports, filming for Nikkhil Advani’s upcoming web series is slated to begin in Indore in July. As per multiple local reports, the shooting will be held at the historic Lal Bagh Palace, which was once used to be the home of the royal family of Indore – the Holkars.

The palace is now a museum and is under the Archaeological Survey of India. Reports further claimed that the filming for the web series is expected to begin in the first week of July. However, when Mathrubhumi English contacted Nikkhil’s Emmay Entertainment for a confirmation on the same, no response was received. Meanwhile, Lal Bagh Palace has served as a shooting location for several films in the past, including Karan Johar’s 2019 movie ‘Kalank’.

Why MP?

MP has become one of the favourite destinations of filmmakers to shoot their projects. In 2022, the state won the award of ‘Most Film-Friendly State’ in the country.

Apart from the scenic and historic locations that the state has to offer, MP is the preferred choice for its film-tourism policy.

According to reports, the state government gave a grant of over Rs. 30 crore to at least 15 Hindi movies, two Telugu movies, and six web series.

Films and web series such as ‘Laapata Ladies’, ‘The Railway Man’, ‘Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’, ‘Padman’, ‘Panchayat’, and many others have been shot in MP.