New Delhi: Amid controversy of ‘shifting’ film industry from Mumbai to Uttar Pradesh, CM Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday set records straight by saying that setting of a film city in the state was an ‘open competition’.

The UP CM’s statement comes a day after his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray said that he will not allow anyone to take business out of Maharashtra.

CM Yogi said that as per promise, his government is committed to build the most beautiful film city in the world.

The CM, who was interacting with bollywood stars, directors and producers in Mumbai on the last day of his two-day visit said “We are open to all kinds of suggestions from you as it is your film city. It will be built according to your requirements and you are welcome to UP.”

CM Yogi said that his government is building a “world-class” film city in Noida, which will be well-connected by road and air with Delhi, Lucknow, Agra, etc.

“The new film city will be built on a 1000-acre plot 6km from the proposed Noida international greenfield airport in Jewar. It will be connected to Delhi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Agra and state capital Lucknow. The interest shown by the people associated with the film industry is a good sign,” he said.

He sought to make it clear that his idea behind the whole thought-process is to give the country another state-of-the-art film city equipped with all technical and modern logistics.

“UP has a rich resource in terms of man-power and knowledge which we want to use while implementing one of the most ambitious projects,” he pointed out.

“Be it the Vindhya region that boasts of the unique heritage of nature or the rich heritage of culture and history of Bundelkhand and the Ayodhya of Lord Ram, UP has everything the film industry requires in terms of resources and the locales,” he said.

During the interaction, the film personalities also gave suggestions and some of them also expressed the desire to meet the CM in person to discuss their films and projects.

‘Film city to have one of the best connectivity’

CM Yogi also said that besides providing excellent basic facilities, the film city will also be having one of the best connectivity. “Besides being well connected to Delhi, Lord Krishna’s Mathura and Vrindavan are barely half an hour’s drive from there. The city of Taj, Agra, is also at a one hour drive from the film city even as Asia’s biggest Greenfield Airport in Jewar coming up in the close vicinity of the proposed film city ”, he said.