MUMBAI, June 15 -- The familiar sound of the clapperboard is falling silent in Naigaon east as studios that nurtured some of the Marathi entertainment industry's most popular serials and films shut down. Driven out by the traffic nightmare on National Highway-48 (NH-48), which links the Vasai-Virar belt to Mumbai and the larger metropolitan region, around 30 studios have packed up here in the last decade. Just nine remain, apart from some smaller ones, on Naigaon's Kharbao-Bapane-Kaman stretch, a region that transformed from a rural backwater into a thriving filming ecosystem for the Hindi and Marathi industries. But as the lights go out in Naigaon, Thane is emerging as a new address for the Marathi entertainment industry. Where there were no studios before 2018, there are now at least seven in Thane, along the arterial Ghodbunder Road. Unlike many in Naigaon, these are formal set-ups, built to meet the demands of modern television and film production. Industry insiders say channels such as Zee Marathi, Colors Marathi and Sony Marathi regularly produce content at these facilities. It's a far cry from Naigaon, which still gives actor Vishwajeet Soni the shudders. "One day, I left Saniya Studios in Chinchoti, at 2.20pm only to reach home in Mira Road at 9.20pm. That's seven hours to cover just 20km due to traffic," recalls Soni, who played 'Prem' on the serial Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai for 11 years. Sandwiched between Vasai and Bhayandar, Naigaon east is marked by vast swathes of vacant land. Property owners with local connections discovered they could make big bucks by renting space to film and TV production houses. The first studios emerged here in 2008. Temporary sets were erected on these large plots and dismantled when the next production was ready to roll. Some also built bungalows, used in film shoots, and added basic infrastructure for the crew. It wasn't long before Naigaon was buzzing with film shoots. Now, Mustafa Ali Muzawar, who once owned 11 studios in Kaman, has only two left. "Actors take more than five hours to travel from Andheri in Mumbai to Naigaon, which disrupts shooting schedules," says Muzawar, whose studios were home to hit Marathi serials such as Balika Vadhu, Happu Ki Ultan Palta, Bhabhiji Ghar Pe Hai and Ramayan. Like Muzawar, Sanjay Rohra also rode the studio boom. Owner of Bhajanlal dairy, he turned cattle-grazing land into a magnet for TV and film productions. But there were challenges as well. Mukesh Palkar, who supervises Rohra's studios, says locals tried to muscle in, insisting on being hired as extras in shoots. "This created problems between production houses and junior artistes," says Palkar. "They wanted a say in various aspects of the production activities in the studios here," he adds. Rohra now operates only six studios in Naigaon. As the NH-48 deteriorated, and traffic congestion in and around Mumbai worsened, shooting in Naigaon turned into a logistical ordeal. Actors grew increasingly frustrated with the commute, and production houses lost technicians, make-up artistes and spot boys. But as Naigaon's fortunes faded, Thane was evolving into a modern city, with excellent connectivity and infrastructure, and new residential complexes. The city also provided a new palette of shooting locations. Apart from quiet roads close to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, venues such as Upwan and Masunda lakes, the Yeoor Hills and Ghodbunder Fort provided fresh locales. Mangesh Desai believes he gave Thane its first close-up. The actor-director-producer, who owns Arth Studio, claims his 2012 film Khed Mandla was effectively a showreel for the city, highlighting its appeal as a shooting destination. "Many Marathi actors are swapping Mumbai for Thane. Here, housing costs less and the quality of life is better. Many artists from shows like Hashya Jatra and Chala Hawa Yeu Dya live here now," Desai says. Currently, Thane has at least seven studios, all of them within a 3-5-km radius in Owale on Ghodbunder Road. Built after 2018, they made it possible to film popular Marathi serials such as Majha Hoshil Na, Agga Bai Sasubai, Doctor Don, Balak Palak and Timepass in the city and its enclaves. Shooting in Thane is also easier on budgets. Sangram Shirke, president, Western India Film and TV Producers' Association, says 15-20% of work in the Marathi television and film industry has shifted to Thane in the last seven to eight years. "Filming in Thane has picked up in the last couple of years. Since real estate rates are lower than in Mumbai, studio rentals cost less, which lowers production costs by as much as 15-20%," says Shirke. Actor-comedian Kushal Badrike, known for Chala Hawa Yeudya and the Marathi film Baap Manus, is relieved the cameras are turning towards Thane. After years of battling long commutes and traffic snarls to get to Naigaon, Mira Road and Madh for film shoots, he says, "Some locations didn't have public transport late at night, and I have spent nights at railway stations after missing the last train. I moved to Thane from Dombivli eight years ago, and, today, I am a happier actor." Uday Sabnis, a veteran of Hindi and Marathi films, minces no words. "Since the last seven to eight years, I have stopped performing in TV serials shot in Mumbai. I sign up only for serials being shot in Thane," said Sabnis, who lives in the scenic Upwan neighbourhood in Thane, framed by the Yeoor Hills. "Shooting exclusively in Thane means I can work on multiple projects without worrying about travel," says Sabnis. For actor Supriya Pathare, Vasant Vihar in Thane was a long way from South Mumbai but she made the shift six years ago, anyway. "To shoot in Madh, I had to leave home at 6 or 7 am, to reach on time. Getting transportation was another headache and returning home very late at night had become routine," says Pathare, recognised for her roles in serials like Jago Mohan Pyare, Molkarin Bai and Pankhand. "In Thane, we reach locations within 30 to 45 minutes." With a series of infrastructure projects in the pipeline, Thane's appeal as a production hub is only set to grow. Upcoming projects such as the Thane-Borivali twin tunnel, the Mulund-Goregaon Link Road and Metro Line 4 promise to dramatically improve connectivity. Add to the list the proposed mini-film city at Gaimukh on Ghodbunder Road, and the next act in Marathi entertainment's story could well unfold in Thane....