If there’s one place in India that knows the rhythm of Bollywood, it’s Maharashtra. From the bright lights of Mumbai to the quiet corners of Pune and the rustic charm of Nashik, the state has long been the heart of Hindi cinema. It’s not just about the studios or the stars. It’s about the streets, the backdrops, the mood that Maharashtra naturally offers. This year, some of the most anticipated Bollywood movies are setting their stories here not just as a background, but as an essential part of their world.
Let’s dive into five such films that are not just being filmed in Maharashtra but are breathing through it.
War 2 – Action Without Leaving Home Turf
Some films promise thrill. War 2 promises fire.
Hrithik Roshan returns to the high-octane franchise, and joining him is Jr. NTR in his Bollywood debut. With such powerhouse energy on screen, the film didn’t need to travel across continents for excitement. Instead, it stayed grounded literally in the streets of Maharashtra. Shooting in Mumbai, the film captures more than just fancy fight scenes. It retains the beat of the city. Dirty back streets, half-built towers, and swarmed bazaars set the mood. A high energy move number shot inside one of Mumbai’s top studios includes glam to the grit.
This isn’t a story hiding its setting. It embraces it.
Drishyam 3 – Simplicity Wrapped in Suspense
Ajay Devgn returns as Vijay Salgaonkar, and with Drishyam 3, the makers are once again turning familiar spaces into nerve-racking theatres of tension. Unlike your usual blockbuster settings, this film prefers the ordinary. Scenes are planned in small residential areas, market lanes, and corners of Mumbai and nearby towns that feel lived-in. These aren’t polished tourist spots. These are places where real people live, argue, laugh, and carry secrets. That’s what makes Drishyam films so haunting. The silence, the glances, the moments that hang in the air they work best in homes that creak and streets that echo softly at night.
Maharashtra, with its grounded, everyday feel, knows how to hold that silence without stealing attention.
Dhurandhar – Not Every Spy Story Shines Bright
Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, stars Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, and R. Madhavan. It’s not the sort of spy film that hops from city to city. This one remains near. Closer to the soil, closer to the shadows. Cameras have rolled inside dark warehouses and forgotten rooftops in Mumbai, where peeling paint and rusty metal offer a natural aesthetic. A few sequences are also being prepared in Pune’s older, industrial zones. There’s no need for flash here. The drama is in the stillness, in whispers exchanged under flickering tube lights. And that’s exactly the kind of cinematic texture Maharashtra is quietly perfect at offering.
Love & War – Drama, Not Decibels
Now, when you listen Sanjay Leela Bhansali is directing a film, your mind likely jumps to luxurious sets and amazing corridors. But Love & War, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal, isn’t playing by those rules. Yes, there’s Bhansali’s usual flair for framing and beauty. But this time, it’s controlled. The story unfurls in more tightly spaces bedrooms with dusty shades, hallways faintly lit by a single light, and verandas where the ocean murmurs delicately in the background. Shot generally in Film City and a few calm corners of Mumbai, this film isn’t showing off. It’s feeling everything deeply, quietly.
And that’s where Maharashtra’s quiet corners come in. They don’t need decoration. They already speak.
Ramayan – Building Legends, One Frame at a Time
When a director like Nitesh Tiwari takes on Ramayan, expectations naturally soar. Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana it’s a dream cast. But what sets this retelling apart is how it’s being made. Instead of relying only on digital trickery, the crew has gone old school. Giant sets have been built inside Mumbai’s biggest studios. Forests, palaces, and warfields don’t just exist on a computer screen they’re right there, physically crafted. One massive battle scene, reportedly involving hundreds of background performers, was shot across several linked soundstages. There’s a deliberate blend of real world set design and subtle VFX. And Maharashtra, with its skilled production teams and studio infrastructure, makes that possible.
Maharashtra: More Than a Location
You might wonder why always here? Why do so many of 2025’s biggest Bollywood productions keep circling back to this state? Well, it’s not just geography. It’s familiarity. It's ease. But it’s also versatility. Mumbai alone offers both glittering glass towers and age-old fishing villages. Pune delivers old-world charm with quiet poise. Nashik gives serenity. And the Konkan belt? Pure untouched beauty. Let’s not forget policy changes either. With Maharashtra now offering location fee waivers for shoots on government properties and speeding up film permissions, producers can dream big without worrying about the bottom line. But deeper than logistics is this: Maharashtra has always understood cinema. The rhythm of storytelling. The unspoken bond between a space and a moment.
It’s why directors keep coming back. Not to use the state but to let it speak.
Final Thoughts
Cinema is changing. It’s bolder now. More emotional. More real. And 2025 is showing us that in full color. The five films War 2, Drishyam 3, Dhurandhar, Love & War, and Ramayan aren’t just using Maharashtra as a place to roll cameras.They’re letting it shape the tone, the disposition, the experience. So when these films reach theatres, you might not catch the name of the street. Or recognize that gate. But you’ll feel the weight of it the textured walls, the crowded lanes, the flickering lights. That’s Maharashtra.
Always present. Never overpowering. Just there quietly turning moments into magic.
