TOP 5: Cinematic journeys across India

‘Ek hi sheher ke ek hi ghar ke ek hi kamre main tu apni saari life kaat degi? Soch ke darr nahi lagta?’                                                                     If you are a cinephile and a travel enthusiast combined, you will have probably traveled across Incredible India from the comfort of your home during the lockdown. With the hustle-bustle of gorgeous cities, lovely architecture, and abundance of nature, it is no wonder that India indeed is a popular destination among foreign filmmakers too. While Slumdog Millionaire and Gandhi remain the iconic movies, we bring to you our TOP 5- Cinematic journeys across India:

1. The Darjeeling Limited

Owing to his expertise in creating hyper-visual and colorful sets, India was the perfect location for one of Wes Anderson’s top-rated movies, The Darjeeling Limited. “India gets under your skin in no time,” Anderson mentioned in one of his interviews. This movie speaks about three siblings who travel across the country to re-discover their lost bond. Contrary to its name, most of the film was shot in the lovely townscapes of Udaipur and Jodhpur.

2. The Namesake

This popular film is based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri. It is a story of a young couple, their son, and their journey of struggles and hardships in an unknown land. Set in the gorgeous cities of Kolkata and Agra, one can certainly catch sight of glimpses of places like the Howrah Bridge, and the Taj Mahal.

3. Life of Pi

Ang Lee’s ‘Life of Pi’ earned many accolades for its breathtaking direction, story, and green-screen technology. It certainly did not fail to impress the audience with its choice of filming locations. We get to explore the southern part of India, from the Tamil Quarter and French colonial White town of Pondicherry. Furthermore, the location moves to the magnificent tea gardens and picturesque mountains of Munnar, Kerala.

4. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

This movie is a sequel to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Therefore, it talks about a young man’s dream of expanding his beloved hotel and welcoming new guests to The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Set in the vibrant capital city of Jaipur, Rajasthan, one can easily recognize the places like Panna Meena Stepwell, the flower market, and Jantar Mantar in the heart of the city. The Ravla Khempur was chosen to be the hotel site for the film.

5. Lion

Based on the 2013 non-fiction book A Long Way Home, this heartwarming movie is about a young boy who is separated from his parents. Years later, he sets out on a quest to find his long-lost family. Based on a true story on the life of Saroo Brierley, most of the movie was set and filmed in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, and Kolkata, West Bengal.

Add these movies to your watchlist and be ready to experiences these Cinematic Journeys across India.                                                           Happy Virtual Tripping! 💙

 

If you enjoyed reading this, do check out our blog on Top 5: Movies filmed in San Francisco.