MUMBAI, May 3 -- Two film cities are to be set up in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), both updated with best technologies available globally and powered with Artificial Intelligence (AI), chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said at the Maharashtra Pavilion, at the ongoing WAVES 2025 summit on Friday. While one of the properties will be developed at Panvel by Godrej Fund Management and Investment Advisor Pvt Ltd, the other will come up close to Goregaon Film City, which is managed by Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation Ltd, by Prime Focus Ltd, one of the world's largest independent integrated media services company. Established in 1997 and founded by Namit Malhotra, Prime Focus Ltd is listed on both the National and Bombay Stock Exchanges of India. Both have together agreed to invest Rs.5,000 crore, said Fadnavis, after signing two separate memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with both firms. "We have signed an MoU with Godrej for setting up a film city at Panvel. The company has promised to invest Rs.2000 crore for the project," he said. "An MoU was also signed with Prime Focus for setting up a film city with an investment of Rs.3000 crore. Together they will create 2,500 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs." The development comes on the back of Fadnavis's announcement of setting up a creative economy hub on a 240-acre land at Malad, in suburban Mumbai, with the help of central government, on April 11. At the time, the chief minister had said that Mumbai has the natural ecosystem for films which is difficult to be created anywhere else - it was a veiled reference to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's announcement in September 2020 to develop a new film city in Noida. He had said at the time that the country needs such a film city and Uttar Pradesh was ready to take on the responsibility. The twin film cities will include world-class production studios to facilitate high-end content creation, supported by a state-of-the-art digital infrastructure. "These film cities will have all the technologies for shooting, production and post production facilities," said Fadnavis. There are additional plans to make them entertainment destinations for the world, with facilities for live entertainment, theme parks, and experience centres; lifestyle experiences, including shopping and dining destinations, top-flight hotels, housing among others. "My vision is to honour the over 100-year legacy of our movie industry by bringing together the combined might of the Prime Focus Group companies," Malhotra said....