No matter what age you are, a trip to any amusement park is an experience worth looking forward to. Here in Hyderabad, tourists have a plethora of places to choose from when it comes to sightseeing, and the Ramoji Film City is one such wonderland that showcases culture and Nizami heritage of Telangana at its very best.
Touted as one of the world’s biggest movie-cum-entertainment sets, Ramoji Film City seamlessly blends the excitement of a filmy amusement park with the allure of tourist attraction. Whether you are a lover of films, or a family on the lookout for places of fun places or a corporate group in search of a retreat, Ramoji Film City offers has something for everyone. It evokes high expectations and the question of whether it is worth it is answered in full measure.
Established by Telugu media tycoon Ramoji Rao in 1996, Ramoji Film City is spread over 1,666 acres in Abdullahpurmet, off the National Highway Nine (NH-9) that connects Hyderabad to Vijayawada. A tour of it includes exposure to behind the scenes experiences of live movie sets, film shoots in progress, a range of restaurants, various types of rides, a dedicated area for shopping, etc.
It comes as no surprise that the Guinness Book of World Records has listed it as one of the many wonders of mankind for accommodating 50 film sets simultaneously, replicas of an airport, a hospital, a railway station, laboratories, the Tihar Jail, temples, churches, mosques, man-made ancient caves, British and French residential societies, Mughal and Japanese gardens, and so on.
This 28 year old film city on Hyderabad’s outskirts can be reached by car or bus. The journey to it is itself pleasurable. There is hassle-free parking and ticket counters that are generally free of long queues. It is okay to buy tickets at the counter rather than booking them online.
Friday was a visual treat for a media team from Jammu and Kashmir, which is currently on a five -day visit to Hyderabad. Having already visited the Salar Jang Museum, Charminar and the Golconda Fort over the last couple of days, today’s visit to the Ramoji Film City was the icing on the cake.
The media team was exposed to three shows that threw light on the charm of movie-making, namely - Spirit of Ramoji, The Wild West Stunt Show, and Dadajin Live. However, as per visitor reviews, only the first show is truly worth watching as it showcases the richness of Indian culture and traditions.
The J&K media team and other visitors were given guided bus tours to all the sites mentioned for a full 20 minutes, if not more. Private guided tours and tickets are naturally costlier. If you are a Bahubali fan, you would surely love to see the humungous set that set the screens afire.
Rides through Ramoji Film City are excluded from the ticket price. There are shops like the Meena Bazaar, the Magadha Shop and Space Yatra that sell souvenirs, handicrafts, jewellery and apparel, but are slightly on the pricier side.
Restaurants like Alampana, Chanakya etc. serve a variety of food, including Mughlai, besides other delicacies. Prices are reasonable and if you can control your hunger pangs while in queue at the billing counter and again at the food counter, you are sure to find the food sumptuous enough. Stalls selling ice cream and other junk food, however, exceed actual MRP, which is disappointing.
The J&K media team also had the privilege of visiting the ETV Bharat office located in the Ramoji Film City complex. They had a good interaction with ETV Bharat Operations Head Bilal Bhat and Khursheed Wani, the network’s in charge for J&K. The ETV Bharat team hosted a lunch for the visiting media team from J&K.
Ramoji Film City is the ultimate leisure destination for one and all, attracting over a million tourists globally.
The J&K media team, which was here as per an arrangement made between the PIBs of J&K and Telangana returns home on Saturday afternoon with a bagful of cherished memories.