An amendment to Mumbai’s Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034 has been announced, aiming to formally permit provisional studios and shooting sets for film, television, advertisement, documentary, and related productions. The notice inviting objections and suggestions was issued last Friday, and it was highlighted that this change is designed to regularize studios that have been operating without authorization in the Madh-Marve-Gorai corridor.
Previously, a significant uproar had been caused when temporary studios had been allowed on land designated as Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). It had been contended that environmental safeguards were being undermined. Complaints and on-site inspections had been conducted by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who accused two ministers of the erstwhile Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) administration of greenlighting unauthorized developments on tourism department property. The matter had been escalated to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), where it was observed that the structures had violated environmental norms.
It was explained by a senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official that the state government’s directive had been received to incorporate temporary studio provisions into the DCPR. A minimum tenure of six months and a maximum of three years had been prescribed, with all projects requiring the municipal commissioner’s sanction. Since no such clause was present in the Mumbai-specific 2034 regulations, it had been adopted from the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations, 2020, which govern the entire state. Consequently, Regulation 57 is being inserted to cover temporary structures related to filming activities.
Environmental considerations had been brought into sharp relief when the NGT order had clarified that only provisional constructions were to be approved. Nevertheless, major facilities constructed from concrete and steel had continued to operate under court stays. Seven studios had been demolished to date, while nearly forty remained intact pending legal resolution. It had been alleged that close to ₹1,000 crore worth of studios had been erected during 2021 with the previous government’s tacit approval.
In response to these developments, Kirit Somaiya had declared that the “fraud activity” of erecting studios and multi-storey buildings under the guise of shooting sets would be terminated. It had been asserted that comprehensive guidelines would be formulated to govern legitimate film and television shoots.
Attempts to secure comments from Malwani MLA Aslam Shaikh and Sunil Rathod, the chief engineer of the Development Plan department, were made but no replies were forthcoming. As the amendment process proceeds, stakeholders are being invited to submit their feedback, ensuring that Mumbai’s regulatory framework for the entertainment industry is both transparent and environmentally responsible.