Goa govt hopeful of playing host to filmmakers

After winning the 'Film Tourism Destination of the Year' award at India International Travel Mart in Chennai recently, Goa Tourism is now hoping to get more filmmakers to come to the coastal state for shooting.

"This award will surely increase the number of film shootings in Goa. It is unique and hence signifies the state as the most favoured destination for film shootings,  Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said.

Goa's picturesque locations make it a "hot-spot" for film producers and directors to want and capture the beauty of the state on camera and make their films more vibrant and eye-catching, he said.

Yesteryear blockbuster "Ek Duje ke Liye" and the recent "Angry Indian Goddesses" have been extensively shot in Goa. "It is not just the Bollywood that is obsessed with Goa, but also a lot of Hollywood filmmakers have not escaped from the charisma of this state," Parulekar said.

Goa Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Nilesh Cabral said it has been an endeavour of Goa tourism to promote the state as the most popular choice for film shootings. "While many shoots cover popular locations of Goa, many producers also capture some of lesser known locations such as its hinterlands, monsoons, adventure activities, festivals, and others which in turn promotes the lesser known facets of Goa," he said.

The state-run Entertainment Society of Goa plays an important role that facilitates all procedures and permissions for film shooting in the state through a single window system, Cabral said.