It was the king of romance, Yash Chopra, who began Bollywood's unconditional love with international locations. Be it the iconic song from Silsila or scenes from Hum Tum, the Indian film industry has left no stone unturned. Since then, scores of movies have been shot at some of the most striking locations in the world. Whether it is the picturesque Prague or the scenic Switzerland, Bollywood has experimented with every location possible. We bring you top 11 movies that have been shot abroad.
Chandni
The 1989 blockbuster had made headlines because of Sri Devi’s costumes. But the scenic beauty of Switzerland in the scenes can not be missed. The iconic lake Alpenrausch was one of the few locations of the shoot. If you didn’t know, Yash Chopra shot so many movies near that lake that the lake has been christened as Chopra Lake.
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Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge
Filmed in both London and Switzerland, the movie is another masterpiece of Yash Chopra. Trafalgar Square, London where Amrish Puri feeds pigeons, Southall London, which is home to Amrish Puri’s convenience store, King’s Cross Railway Station where Shahrukh and Kajol catch their train, St. Mauritius Church, Switzerland where Kajol and Shahrukh pray together are some of the locations that caught eyeballs. Other locations include Zweisimmen, Gstaad, Jungfraujoch, and Lake Lungeren in Switzerland.
Rockstar
Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri starrer Rockstar was another iconic creation of Imtiaz Ali. While, he chose India as his location for Jab We Met, though wIth Rockstar he experimented with Prague and it definitely worked. So many Indian tourists took a trip to the Czech Republic capital after watching the movie. Prague Castle, Sychrov Castle and Charles Bridge where the song Hawa Hawa was shot also became popular. Other locations included Seat of Happiness Temple, Norbulingka Institute and Karlstejn Castle in Prague.
Kal Ho Naa Ho
Karan Johar shot love story, Kal Ho Naa Ho, starring Preity Zinta, Shahrukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan, in New York, The Big Apple. Whether it was the Wall Street Bull, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Times Square or Central Park, the movie was shot at almost all iconic locations in New York.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Yash Chopra's last movie was another masterpiece that chose overseas shores for its shooting. Most parts of the movie were shot in England. The song Saans covered some of the most popular locations in England including the Marble Arch, Great Conservatory in Syon Park and the Millennium Bridge. Other locations include the All Saints Church in Blackheath, England, Hungerford Bridge, Jubilee Palace and Hyde Park.
Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
Starring Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan in lead roles, the movie chose the Sin City as its shoot location. Most scenes of the movie were shot in Las Vegas. Right from the Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas to Caesar’s Palace, the movie covered almost all of the Vegas Strip. If you need to have a closer look at Las Vegas, watch the movie.
Dostana
Karan Johar and his love for international locations, specifically the United States, comes across in Dostana as well. The entire movie was shot in the Cruise Capital of the World, Miami. Also known as the cleanest city of America, Miami offered some of the most beautiful shots for the movie. The Miami Beach and the South Beach Ocean Drive were extensively used. Other locations include Bayside with the Miami skyline ahead, the Bayfront Park and other locations in Miami.
New York
As the name suggests, the Bollywood thriller based on 9/11, and its aftermath, starring Katrina Kaif, John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh had some of its shots shot in New York. Although, some New York shots were actually shot in Philadelphia. Director, Kabir Khan had to take the approval from US authorities before making the film and shooting at the locations because of the sensitive issue.
Bachna Ae Haseeno
Siddharth Anand’s Bachna Ae Haseeno was shot in many locations abroad. Right from Australia, Italy, Greece to Switzerland, all these locations were used. The song Khuda Jaane alone was shot in locations including Greece, Venice and Capri. Other locations included Sydney, Rome and Switzerland. The movie was a box office hit.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, the bachelor road trip of three friends, starring Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin was shot in Spain. The location also increased the number of Indian tourists visiting Spain. La Tomatina in Valencia, Flamenco dancing in Seville, bull running in Pamplona along with a few scenes at the beautiful coastline of Costa Brava made the movie a bigger hit.
PK
Rajkumar Hirani took a few steps forward and found a location where no Bollywood movie was ever shot. The love story of Anushka Sharma and Sushant Singh Rajput was carefully woven and the location was chosen after a long search. Finally, Bruges in Belgium was given the green signal since it is the perfect setting for a fairytale love story. The song Chaar Kadam captures the location quite well making the love story look nothing less than perfect.
Bollywood has become choosy when it comes to selecting locations for either the entire movie or just a few sequences. If you don’t have the time to travel across the world, Bollywood will take you on a world tour through its movies.