Bollywood Films and Filming Over Time 4.0

Here we are, on the last one! Yes, this is the last installation of the Filming Location Blogs series. Till now, we have covered a lot of films and filming locations of Bollywood and what great stories we’ve stumbled upon. From the love story and heartbreaks of Pakeezah to the stories of streets with Salaam Bombay. The kind of atmosphere that there was in Bollywood until the 1990s was very starry and yet it was very human. After the 90s the Rich Boy or Rich Girl wave hit Bollywood and ruined all the creativity that was in the commercial and mainstream Bollywood. After that, it was just the ‘Class divide’ shown by ‘upper class’ people in an ‘upper class’ way. Then the amount of films that were shot abroad increased by default, and the newness or rarity of that phenomenon started decreasing, to the point that every film had an Out-of-India sequence or song, making it a necessity and there was no breaking this monotony, even TODAY!

If you are new to this series you can read the previous blogs on this website, or click here.

We will try and choose good films or the iconic ones, in this part too. So, Let’s Go!

Pehla Nasha Pehla Khumar,

Jo jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992)

             Yes! Need Motivation, watch this film! But there is so much more to that film, great music, good story, strong characters, India’s Marilyn Monroe Moment! But with all of this, there is beautiful scenery. Curious? Well, let’s start with the Love Anthem of India. ‘Pehla Nasha Pehla Khumar’ was shot in the Pine Forest of Ooty, Tamil Nadu and also at the Western Catchment in Ooty. Rajput College, is actually Lawrence School in Ooty, Lovedale, and the girls college was shot in Queens College in Tamil Nadu. The house that we see where Ratan is introduced is in Kodaikanal, Dehradun, which opens to a Green valley and amazing visuals.

             This film is never to be forgotten, is it? Just the perfect example of timeless beauty!

             Story of a Victim turned Rebel!

Bandit Queen (1994)

The film is mostly shot in Chambal and the hills and valleys nearby. Now, these valleys are mostly the more barren and very dry ones. There are still some places where the bandits have their ‘Addas’. There is not a lot of difference when you see those places even today. Mind well, when I say even today, because the film was shot in between 1993-1994 and some places are still the same, they have not changes a single bit, for example the house that she lived in is still the same, the temples, the bridges, roads and the bandits, nothing has changed.

The locations are mostly in and around Chambal. The Uneven lads of Chambal, that are called “Chambal ke Beehad” is the place where they shot the gangs. The ‘Mazaar’ shot in the film can still be found there. The village where Phulan Devi used to reside, i.e. Rajghat was also filmed for most of the part, the blue hut, with shed, was a real location which is still there. There are some shots taken from the banks of the Chambal River and also the old bridge that crosses the river. The filming that was done on the road Rajghat is known as ‘Dakaiton Ka Raasta’!

It seems that the time has stopped in Chambal, injustice still prevails, the caste system is still active, there are Gangs of Bandits still creating terror. It’s still horrifying!

             A trip around Europe saved her from Kuljeet!

Dilwale dulhaniya le jayenge (1995)

             We can’t go around 1990s films and not mention DDLJ! Why? Because it’s DDLJ!

This film has given us so many expectations from love, that any kind of love now doesn’t feel enough. Well, that’s because the locations helped to romanticize the already romantic notion of love. So, remember Amrish Puri AKA Baldev Singh feeding a lot of pigeons? It was shot at Trafalgar Square in London. The railway station where they wait for the next train for Zurich, is actually Saanen Railway Station and the first train that they miss, that scene was shot at Zweisemmen in Saanen itself! The beautiful church scene was filmed in the St. Gat Church, in Fribourg of Switzerland. And last but not the least, the climax scene was shot at the Apta Railway Station in Raigad District. Where the iconic dialogues by Amrish Puri were shot, history was made, lovers were united, okay, we can go one with the list! Thank You Yash Chopra!

A Mani Ratnam Film, a tragic Love-Story!

BOMBAY (1995)

             Remember the beautiful music that travels through the entire film. All Hail Master A. R. Rahman! Tu Hi Re starts playing and you come to see a beautiful fort covered with greenery and love, surrounded by water from all the sides! That song is shot on Bekal Fort in the state of Kerala. The scene where Shekhar first sees Shaila Bano is shot at the banks of Chandragiri Puzha, and the bridge that we see where he is walking is the Chandragiri Bridge, near Kasargod Town, also situated in the state of Kerala! ‘Kehna Hi Kya’ was shot at the Thirumalai Nayak Palace, in Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu!

Coming to a Legendary song shot at a legendary place, choreographed and performed by the legendary Prabhu Deva, (oh, how many legendary things) Humma Humma. This song was shot at, wait for it……. Mannat! Yes, now the house of Shah Rukh Khan, Mannat-Land’s End. Sweet!

Again, a Mani Ratnam Film Terrorism, Romance, Beauty!