Sajid Nadiadwala in talks to buy Filmistan Studio

Filmistan Studio, one of Mumbai's oldest and iconic studios, could have a new owner if the deal comes through. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala wants to buy the studio from its present owner, Anil Kumar Tolaram Jalan.

Spread over five acres on Goregaon's SV Road, the studio has seven shooting floors, a temple and garden for outdoor shoots. It was founded in 1943 by producer Sashadhar Mukherjee, his brotherin-law actor Ashok Kumar, his director friend Gyan Mukherji and Rai Bahadur Chunilal as the production controller. They had quit Bombay Talkies following creative differences with actress-filmmaker Devika Rani who had taken over after her husband, Himanshu Rai's death.

Nasir Hussain joined Filmistan in 1948 as a writer and penned blockbusters like Anarkali, Munimji and Paying Guest. He made successful transition to direction with Tumsa Nahin Dekha and the studio continued to churn out hits like Shaheed, Shabnam, Sargam and Nagin through the '40s and '50s.

In 1958, Mukherjee left Filmistan to establish his own studio, Filmalaya, selling it to Tolaram Jalan. Nitin Bose's Dooj Ka Chand in 1964 was one of the last films to come out of the production company but the studio continued to find favour with outside filmmakers. Shah Rukh Khan's RA.One and Salman Khan's Bodyguard were filmed there in recent times.

Talks of the studio being put up for sale have been going on for some years now and in 2011, Jalan refuted media reports. Now, Mirror has learnt that Nadiadwala has approached Jalan with an offer to buy it.

Says a source close to the development, "It's Sajid's favourite studio having been the founding ground of one of his much- loved directors Nasir Hussain whose films he's grown up watching. A song, Offo, for his film, 2 States, was shot there. So there's a sentimental value attached to the property. He's been in talks with the owner since the last month-and-a-half and they are at an advanced stage now."

Sajid responded to our query with a, "No comment."

The studio told us that the owner was not available and the manager would respond only the next afternoon.