Mehboob Studio is an Indian film studio and recording studio in Bandra, Mumbai. It was founded by director and producer Mehboob Khan in 1954 and is most known for films like Mother India (1957), which won the Filmfare Awards for Best Film and Best Director and was a nominee for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The Mehboob Studio spreads over an area of 20,000 square yards and includes 5 shooting stages and has won several prizes for the enigmatic sets. The proud legacy of Mehboob Studio is utilized by most of the eclectic and technically advanced moviemakers of the contemporary time.
History of Mehboob Studio
Director Mehboob Khan had established Mehboob Productions in 1942 and had made hits like "Anmol Ghadi" (1946) and "Andaz" (1949). He started looking for land closer to central Mumbai compared with older studios like "Filmistan" and "Bombay Talkies" which were in far-flung, Gurgaon and Malad. Eventually he settled for seaside Bandra, then a quiet and marshy area. The plot close to historic Mount Mary"s Church was brought in 1951 and the construction was completed in 1954.
Mehboob shot his next two films, "Paisa hi Paisa" and "Awaaz", but it was not until he made "Mother India" in Mehboob Studio in 1957, that he tasted both critical and cinematic success again. Guru Dutt shot his iconic "Kaagaz Ke Phool" here, and actor-director Dev Anand shot many of his movies under the Navketan Films banner here, starting with "Hum Dono" and followed by "Guide". Mehboob Khan could never recapture his mantle after the success of "Mother India". In 1962, the movie "Son of India" was released and was the last film produced under the Mehboob Productions banner by Mehboob Khan.
Structure of Mehboob Studio
The Mehboob Studio was situated on 20,000 square yards of plush seaside land in Bandra. The Studio features 5 huge shooting stages and a recording theatre. The studio is one of the hubs of activity round the clock even till date. Mehboob Studios is booked to full capacity. Mehboob Studio soon became a loved venue for shooting for the leading filmmakers of the time. Despite the trends in those times of renting bungalows and huge mansions, the directors loved this place for its vivid atmosphere. The actual locales for shoot were virtually created in Mehboob Studio and thus the studio continued to flourish because of its easily accessible location too.
Productions at Mehboob Studio
The Mehboob Studio and Mehboob Productions have introduced several stars who later became milestones in the history of Bollywood. Some of them are; Chandramohan, Motilal, Nadira, Ashok Kumar, Nargis, Nimmi, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. The evergreen musical genius Naushad Ali and director of photography Faredoon A Irani were intensely associated with Mehboob Production banner. Mehboob Studios was also a favourite with the moviemakers like Dev Anand and Guru Dutt. The Mehboob Studio still survives and reinvented itself by hosting an exhibition by sculptor Anish Kapoor, and later acting as the venue for the Mahindra Blues Festival for two consecutive years in 2011 and 2012.
Filmography at Mehboob Studio
Anmol Ghadi (1946)
Andaz (1949)
Mother India (1957)
Hum Dono (1962)
Guide (1965)
Amrapali (1966)
Johny Mera Naam (1970)
Ethan`s House (2010)
Housefull 2 (2012)
Dabangg 2 (2012)
Chennai Express (2013)
Simmba (2018)
