The renovation work at the historic Prabhat Studios at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) got underway earlier this year and the section, where lights, costumes and property would be stored, wears a new look. “The initial plan was to repair affected sections of Prabhat Studios for FTII’s Diamond Jubilee in 2020.,” said Bhupendra Kainthola, director, FTII.

Prabhat Studios is also the world’s oldest functional studio, where student film projects are still shot.  “This work was pending for 60 years, ever since FTII was set up. The back-to-back work of students earlier did not allow us the option to stop filming activity and carry out repairs,” he said.

The lights, cameras and costumes from the iconic Studio Number One were moved to Studio Number Two before plastering and whitewashing work could commence. Walls and floors have now been repaired, without affecting the heritage structure. Lights were cleaned out and painted. A track trolley, used during shoots, has been repaired and new track trolleys have been procured.

“There is a water tank inside the studio, which is used for shooting scenes with water bodies. It is almost 90 years old, built at the same time as the studio, and its drainage system got choked over the years. Whenever we needed the tank, we had to use pumps to drain the water. Now, we are restoring the old drainage so that whenever it has to be filled up or emptied, it can be done easily,” Kainthola said