Exotic locations viewers will get to see in Bollywood films this year
8:00 AM
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 5, 2014)
Hindi films are synonymous with escapism. One reason could be the exotic locations they’re set in. From Switzerland to Shimla, our films have given an identity to the places that have served as a picturesque backdrop for their stories.
For years, Indian filmmakers have scanned the globe for unique destinations that complement the script and offer viewers a chance to visually experience places that may not (always) be on the tourist map. So fasten your seat belts as Bollywood takes you on a world tour:
Kick in Warsaw
Sajid Nadiadwala has shot in the swankiest clubs of Las Vegas (Anjaana Anjaani) and is the first Indian producer to shoot at the Universal Studios in Los Angeles (Kambakkht Ishq). For his directorial debut Kick, he was looking for a country with stunning locales, a European feel and interesting architecture. “My subject required a place with concrete buildings like New York’s Wall Street and some heritage buildings. I found all this and more in Warsaw,” says Sajid, who has just returned from a schedule in Poland with some amazing footage never seen before in Hindi cinema.
Humshakals in Derbyshire
Director Sajid Khan’s next, Humshakals, has one thing common with his Housefull franchise; they’ve all been shot in England. Being his third time in the UK, Sajid admits that he feels less like a tourist there. His breakthrough find: the Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. “The house is almost like a silent character in the film. After 30-40 recces and checking out about 100 castles in England and Scotland, my mother suggested the Chatsworth House, which she’d seen in a movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice,” he reveals. It was love-at-first-sight for Sajid but his location manager told him that it would be impossible to shoot there as it was a major tourist attraction. “But I was determined and agreed to an hourly breakdown whereby I would be allowed to shoot in a part of the house which would be locked down each day for certain hours,” explains Sajid.
Phantom in Beirut
Kabir Khan’s ambitious spy thriller, Phantom, has mostly been shot in places that one has only heard about while browsing through the news. “My choice of location is script-driven. I don’t set my film in a city or a country simply because it would make for a pretty backdrop,” explains the director whose latest story led him to civil war-ravaged Beirut, Lebanon. He not only shot in the city but even in the mountains close to the Syria border. “There are some talented production designers who are capable of recreating these places, but I hate sets. I’ve been a documentary filmmaker and for me authenticity is important. And today, we have the budgets to shoot in countries we’ve never considered before. Besides, the audience is sharp and well-travelled and you can’t claim to have filmed in Beirut when you’ve actually shot in Dubai or somewhere in the Middle-East. Even the light is different in different parts of the world and something like a tree could give it away,” asserts Khan. But a location like this would mean braving volatile conditions and Khan admits that you don’t do something as foolish as landing up in a country that’s going through a political crisis without proper planning. “As a documentary filmmaker, I realised that things aren’t as bad as they sound in the news. Yes, security is a concern and there were bombings before and even during our schedule in Beirut. But if you only reach out to people and explain what you’re doing that takes care of most things,” reasons the filmmaker who even met a Hezbollah leader who smoothened out things for him. While shooting near the Syria border the Phantom unit once even managed to attract the attention and interest of the Israeli army. “We were filming in the hills near the border. Our cast and crew were armed with tanks and guns and that drew the Israeli forces to us. They circled our unit on F16s and even clicked several pictures—possibly wondering who we were or what we were up to,” narrates Khan with a laugh.
The Xpose in Paris
This Himesh Reshammiya murder mystery The Xpose may be set in India but some of the songs have been shot in Paris. “The light you find in European countries illuminate the frames, literally. Also, one gets more day hours to shoot between June to July, when you can begin as early as 7am and wrap up as late as 9-10pm,” explains Rakesh Upadhyay, business partner, HR Musik Ltd, the banner producing the film.
Tina And Lolo in Penang and KL
This Charlies Angelsesque action flick starring Sunny Leone and Karishma Tanna needed a big city setting, along with a few beaches. Director Devang Dholakia considered several options, including Georgia, which he had to drop for lack of subsidies, before finally settling for Malaysia. “We needed a city with a lot of skyscrapers, runways, shopping malls and a few imposing structures. We found these in Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is a shoot-friendly country and it cost us the same as it would in Mumbai. Many South Indian films have been shot there,” says Dholakia.
Hindi films are synonymous with escapism. One reason could be the exotic locations they’re set in. From Switzerland to Shimla, our films have given an identity to the places that have served as a picturesque backdrop for their stories.
For years, Indian filmmakers have scanned the globe for unique destinations that complement the script and offer viewers a chance to visually experience places that may not (always) be on the tourist map. So fasten your seat belts as Bollywood takes you on a world tour:
Kick in Warsaw
Sajid Nadiadwala has shot in the swankiest clubs of Las Vegas (Anjaana Anjaani) and is the first Indian producer to shoot at the Universal Studios in Los Angeles (Kambakkht Ishq). For his directorial debut Kick, he was looking for a country with stunning locales, a European feel and interesting architecture. “My subject required a place with concrete buildings like New York’s Wall Street and some heritage buildings. I found all this and more in Warsaw,” says Sajid, who has just returned from a schedule in Poland with some amazing footage never seen before in Hindi cinema.
Humshakals in Derbyshire
Director Sajid Khan’s next, Humshakals, has one thing common with his Housefull franchise; they’ve all been shot in England. Being his third time in the UK, Sajid admits that he feels less like a tourist there. His breakthrough find: the Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. “The house is almost like a silent character in the film. After 30-40 recces and checking out about 100 castles in England and Scotland, my mother suggested the Chatsworth House, which she’d seen in a movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice,” he reveals. It was love-at-first-sight for Sajid but his location manager told him that it would be impossible to shoot there as it was a major tourist attraction. “But I was determined and agreed to an hourly breakdown whereby I would be allowed to shoot in a part of the house which would be locked down each day for certain hours,” explains Sajid.
Phantom in Beirut
Kabir Khan’s ambitious spy thriller, Phantom, has mostly been shot in places that one has only heard about while browsing through the news. “My choice of location is script-driven. I don’t set my film in a city or a country simply because it would make for a pretty backdrop,” explains the director whose latest story led him to civil war-ravaged Beirut, Lebanon. He not only shot in the city but even in the mountains close to the Syria border. “There are some talented production designers who are capable of recreating these places, but I hate sets. I’ve been a documentary filmmaker and for me authenticity is important. And today, we have the budgets to shoot in countries we’ve never considered before. Besides, the audience is sharp and well-travelled and you can’t claim to have filmed in Beirut when you’ve actually shot in Dubai or somewhere in the Middle-East. Even the light is different in different parts of the world and something like a tree could give it away,” asserts Khan. But a location like this would mean braving volatile conditions and Khan admits that you don’t do something as foolish as landing up in a country that’s going through a political crisis without proper planning. “As a documentary filmmaker, I realised that things aren’t as bad as they sound in the news. Yes, security is a concern and there were bombings before and even during our schedule in Beirut. But if you only reach out to people and explain what you’re doing that takes care of most things,” reasons the filmmaker who even met a Hezbollah leader who smoothened out things for him. While shooting near the Syria border the Phantom unit once even managed to attract the attention and interest of the Israeli army. “We were filming in the hills near the border. Our cast and crew were armed with tanks and guns and that drew the Israeli forces to us. They circled our unit on F16s and even clicked several pictures—possibly wondering who we were or what we were up to,” narrates Khan with a laugh.
The Xpose in Paris
This Himesh Reshammiya murder mystery The Xpose may be set in India but some of the songs have been shot in Paris. “The light you find in European countries illuminate the frames, literally. Also, one gets more day hours to shoot between June to July, when you can begin as early as 7am and wrap up as late as 9-10pm,” explains Rakesh Upadhyay, business partner, HR Musik Ltd, the banner producing the film.
Tina And Lolo in Penang and KL
This Charlies Angelsesque action flick starring Sunny Leone and Karishma Tanna needed a big city setting, along with a few beaches. Director Devang Dholakia considered several options, including Georgia, which he had to drop for lack of subsidies, before finally settling for Malaysia. “We needed a city with a lot of skyscrapers, runways, shopping malls and a few imposing structures. We found these in Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is a shoot-friendly country and it cost us the same as it would in Mumbai. Many South Indian films have been shot there,” says Dholakia.
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