Mumbai-based Amit Vachharajani talks to TLG.com about what international producers need to know when filming in India...
We're Mumbai-based, which makes sense since it's India's film capital, but our reach extends across the entire country. Our team is a mix of in-house fixer-producers and a tight circle of freelancers we've worked with for years.
We focus on two main areas: factual content (think documentaries, travel shows, reality TV, natural history programs) and corporate or branded content productions.
What we actually provide is everything an international crew needs to function here without losing their minds: permit and visa assistance, on ground research, equipment and crew hire, location permits, and a dedicated logistics team working on moving people and gear around a country where "straightforward" isn't really a thing.
The list is pretty diverse. In 2024-25 - we've worked on Race Across The World for Studio Lambert and BBC, Rob and Rylan's Passage to India, Romesh Ranganathan's Can't Knock The Hustle in Mumbai and Chennai, Rob and Romesh vs in Mumbai, The Yorkshire Vet up in Punjab, Historian David Olusoga's Empire in Delhi and Kolkata, and Apple TV's The Reluctant Traveller with Eugene Levy, which was shot in Rajasthan. A wide variety of genres and geographies. Currently working on a reality adventure show on bicycles for Endemol Netherlands and HBO's Conan O'Brien Must Go.
Race Across the World's India leg was absolute madness. Months of research and planning, intensive recces and then five weeks of shoot - multiple camera crews zigzagging across the country from the Nepal border down to Kanniyakumari at India's southern tip - a gruelling journey of roughly 4000 kilometres. Large crew moves, accommodation shortages, permits that were pulled together at the last minute, filming nonstop while traveling exclusively by public transport - all this while keeping the crews and contestants safe and motivated. It was the kind of production that ages you three years in three months.
Most of these shows end up using a combination of international and local crews, which honestly works best. You get the international perspective paired with local knowledge and muscle.
Here's the thing: India isn't one country. It's more like twenty countries in one. The sheer diversity is staggering—geography, people, architecture, wildlife, languages, cultures, religions, history. For factual content, it's basically an endless buffet of stories.
Of course, this diversity also means producing here can feel like juggling cobras - to use an apt metaphor. In a single day, you can travel from the coldest mountains on earth to pristine beaches, chaotic cities, or extremely hot deserts. The variety is unmatched, but it demands serious planning.
And because India has thriving film industries scattered across the country—not just Bollywood—there's no shortage of skilled crew, the latest filming tech, studios, and post-production facilities. The infrastructure exists; you just need to know how to access it.
Mumbai remains the favourite. It's got everything: the frenetic energy of India's economic capital, Bollywood glamour, colonial architecture, and streets that never stop moving.
Rajasthan is a massive draw for obvious reasons—stunning palaces that still house royals, rich cultural heritage, and landscapes that swing from lush to stark desert. It's visual gold.
Down south, Kerala pulls in a lot of travel and food shows. The backwaters, the beaches, the food—it's the more laid-back side of India, and crews love it.
What's exciting is that documentary teams are starting to venture into less obvious but equally spectacular regions: Ladakh with its otherworldly terrain, Kutch, Madhya Pradesh, and natural history treasure trove that is the Northeast of India. These areas are visually stunning and editorially rich, but they've been under the radar for too long.
Let's be honest: factual content gets the short end of the stick when it comes to government incentive schemes. The compliance requirements, timelines, and paperwork are designed for big-budget fiction productions, not documentary-style shoots. It's frustrating, but that's the reality. [However, there is a is a national incentive available, which is a cashback reimbursement worth up to 40% on qualifying production expenditure for international projects, with a maximum cap of INR 300 million (£2.5m). An additional 5% bonus is available for ‘significant Indian content’. Plus, plenty of funding options across the 29 different states].
First: producing factual or documentary content in India is nothing like producing feature films, dramas, or commercials. The rulebook is completely different.
This is where experienced fixers become invaluable. I'm not exaggerating when I say skilled fixers are worth their weight in gold. Every region has its own challenges, languages, cultural nuances, and bureaucratic quirks. You need people who actually know the territory, not just someone who Googled it last week.
Permits and visas take time. You cannot rush this process, no matter how much someone promises you they can. India doesn't have a single-window clearance system for unscripted productions, which means every monument, city, airport, or private location requires separate permissions from different authorities. It's a bureaucratic maze, and there's no shortcut.
Here's what really trips up international crews: India exists in multiple realities simultaneously. You'll film in futuristic cities with high-tech metro systems in the morning, then find yourself in rural areas with zero phone networks by evening. Crews from more homogenous societies often struggle to wrap their heads around this. The contrasts aren't just dramatic—they're the baseline.
Understanding that complexity isn't optional; it's survival.
