Two of Bollywood's biggest names are in the hills — and Uttarakhand's government wants the whole industry to follow. The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand announced on Saturday, 17 October 2026, that Akshay Kumar is currently shooting in Mussoorie and Landour while Janhvi Kapoor is on location in Nainital, framing the simultaneous presence of major Bollywood projects as proof that the state is cementing its status as a premier film destination.

Mussoorie, Landour and Nainital in the frame

The post — issued in Hindi — states that Uttarakhand is becoming the choice of major filmmakers owing to its 'prakritik sundarta, manoram parvateey bhu-drishya, aitihasik sthal' (natural beauty, scenic mountain landscapes, and historical sites). The back-to-back shoots are doing something policy documents alone cannot: placing the state's most recognisable hill towns in front of a national cinema audience. Films, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami argued, are not merely tourism advertising — they are employment engines for local youth, artists, technicians, hotel owners, transport operators and service providers.

What Uttarakhand Film Policy 2024 actually promises filmmakers

The state has put a structural offer on the table under the Uttarakhand Film Policy 2024. Its centrepiece is a single-window clearance system that guarantees shooting permissions within seven days, sparing productions the friction of coordinating across multiple government departments. The policy's stated goal is to build a film-friendly environment through simplified approvals — the emphasis here is on ease rather than large cash subsidies, mirroring an approach several other hill and heritage states have adopted to compete for productions.

The Uttarakhand Film Vikas Parishad (Uttarakhand Film Development Council) is the institutional arm executing the strategy, tasked with presenting the state's natural, cultural and historical heritage to both national and international filmmakers and providing on-ground logistical support once a production commits.

Tourism spillover: the bigger economic bet

The state's calculation goes beyond the shoot itself. Every major Bollywood production that features Mussoorie, Landour or Nainital on screen generates what tourism economists call a 'film-induced visitation' effect — viewers become future visitors. CM Dhami's statement explicitly links film tourism to the broader state economy, pointing to hotels, transport, food and local services as sectors that benefit when a film unit arrives and again when audiences, inspired by the visuals, follow. Uttarakhand has positioned its Himalayan landscapes as a filming location since its formation as a separate state in 2000, but the current policy represents a sharper, more structured attempt to convert scenic backdrops into a sustained economic asset.

The numbers that will ultimately test the policy's ambition — shooting permissions processed under the seven-day window, and any measurable uptick in tourist footfall at featured locations next season — are the ones to watch. For now, the presence of two headline Bollywood projects in the hills at the same time is the strongest pitch the state could have made.