Renowned Indian Filmmaker Chooses Kenya for Next Blockbuster

A photo of people at a film set
A photo of people at a film set
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World Atlas

Kenyans are about to experience the glitz and glamour associated with the Indian film industry, Bollywood, in 2025.

This is after India's ace filmmaker SS Rajamouli revealed that his next movie scheduled for April 2025 will be partly shot in Kenya. Titled SSMB 29, Rajamouli is gearing up for his next directorial venture with Mahesh Babu, a prominent Indian actor, producer, and media personality, in the movie set against the backdrop of an epic adventure.

Set to possibly feature award-winning actress Priyanka Chopra as the lead actress and other notable actors internationally, the movie, which is in the final stages of writing and is set to go on floors in April 2025, has locked the locations in India and Kenya.

The shooting of the thriller will start in Boora Caves, Vizag, a popular tourist place in Andhra Pradesh, India.

An image of the inside view of a movie shop.
An image of the inside view of a movie shop.
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Honeycomb

The shooting is expected to continue in Kenya. Although the exact locations in Kenya are yet to be revealed, fans have been advised to wait for an official confirmation from the film makers.

Reportedly, SSMB29 will feature Mahesh Babu as an explorer having the characteristics of Lord Hanuman. The movie promises to deliver an extraordinary cinematic experience to the viewers. The movie is also expected to be titled Garuda and feature an ensemble cast, with several foreign actors playing key roles.

This will not be the first time Kenya will be used as a site to shoot a Bollywood movie. While on holiday in the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa in July 2019, film director Raj Kumar shot his movie in Kenya.

“I made an exciting trip to the world-famous Masai Mara National Park, and there I met and made a deal with local film enthusiasts. We shall be shooting part of the movie there,” Kumar revealed to Kenyan media houses during his tour then.

Other locations where the movie was shot include Kilua Resort, Mombasa, Mombasa Harbour, Fort Jesus Museums, Haller Park, and the famous giant-sized aluminium elephant tusks located along Moi Avenue, Mombasa.

This opportunity is set to bring an added advantage to Kenya, not just as a showcase to tourists but as a boost to the film industry, which President Ruto has numerously promised to support.

In a bid to promote the industry, in May 2024, President Ruto launched the African Union (AU) Secretariat of the African AudioVisual Cinema Commission (AACC).

The Secretariat is tasked with promoting the research on African Audio-visual and Cinema industries, distributing African films, establishing the African Audio-visual and Cinema Fund, as well as providing technical support to Member States for the formulation and implementation of audio-visual and cinema policies.

President William Ruto
President William Ruto during the New Year Message to Kenyans at the Kisii State Lodge, December 31, 2024.
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William Ruto
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