Written by new-contact on Sep 27, 2011. Posted in On Location

Sam Mendes’ James Bond film ditches India location filming plan

The new James Bond film has abandoned plans to film on location in India, with South Africa being the likely replacement. India was on the verge of being confirmed for the franchise for the first time in nearly 30 years, but permitting delays might have been a factor in scuppering the plans.

Producers were negotiating to film action sequences on India’s railway network in Sabarmati, in the state of Gujarat, according to The Times of India. Factors ranging from India’s lengthy permitting process, restrictions to the intended filming schedule and general costs have been reported as contributing factors in the producers’ decision.

India was on the verge of being confirmed as a filming location for the James Bond franchise for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Chandralekha Mukherjee, Executive Director of India Railways, defended his organisation in comments to the paper: “They wanted to shoot in the Sabarmati yard and had asked to shoot on two gauges - broad gauge and meter gauge - and they wanted these for seven-hour stretches every day for seven days in a row, and we'd agreed.

“All had been worked out. The matter was finalised by September 13. But a week later we were informed that after an international discussion the production team decided not to shoot in India.”

The lengthy permitting process is routinely cited by commercial productions filming in India as one of the biggest challenges facing international crews in the country. South Africa would be the logical replacement, as it can easily double for India and offers a strong filmmaking infrastructure.