/ UK Picks for Bollywood Flicks!

by Anokhi Admin

UK Picks for Bollywood Flicks!

Aug 06, 2013

Visit Bollywood on Location in Britain

Bollywood’s in love with Britain. Last year, nearly 200 Indian movies were partially filmed in the British Isles. With continuing popularity of NRI plots, tax breaks for film production crews and a new government-industry partnership between India, the UK and other EU countries, expect more celluloid shots of the Queen’s country in the future. To celebrate, the British Tourist Authority put together a map of shooting locations for over 30 famous desi films. Hard copies of the Bollywood Britain map are available at tourist offices in India and the Middle East, and the rest of the world can view it online at VisitBritain.com. For those keen on just visiting London, a similar map is available on VisitLondon.com. But with so many silver-screen locations to choose from, where does a cinemaphile start? Here are ten favourite spots for a filmi-inspired tour of England, Scotland and Wales. Check out Bollywood’s latest fling!

What Bath
Where The world-heritage listed city is 100 miles west of London
Bollywood connection Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu’s 2007 Cheeni Kum may be set in London and India, but lot of it was actually filmed in elegant Bath.
Why visit? Jane Austen set two of her novels amongst the cobbled streets and social whirl, forever immortalizing 19th century Bath. Two centuries later, fans can tour the pump and assembly rooms where fashionable Georgians danced, gossiped and took the Bath cure–pints drawn from Britain’s only natural hot springs. The Bath bubbly is still on tap, if you fancy a taste.

What Caernarfon
Where The picturesque town is in Northwest Wales
Bollywood connection Dance sequences of 2004’s Ek Se Badhar Ek whisk Raveena Tandon and Sunil Shetty to Wales.
Why visit? The highlight in-town is the13th century stone castle, birthplace of King Edward II of England and traditional site for the investiture ceremony of the Prince of Wales–last performed in 1969 for Prince Charles.

What Edinburgh
Where Scotland’s capital and second-largest city
Bollywood connection Sunil Shetty follows his love to Scotland in 2001’s Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat, so naturally the film travels through its towns and countryside.
Why visit? Edinburgh turns into a giant stage in August for thousands of shows during its famous cultural festivals. There are also giant street parties for Hogmanay (Scottish for New Year’s Eve) and Beltane, a pagan spring fling on April 30.

What Eilean Donan Castle
Where The castle’s on a small island at the meeting point of three lochs in the Northwest Scottish highlands
Bollywood connection The title song for 1998’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai features Kajol running through the open land, with Eilean Donan and mountains in the background.
Why? A famous stop on the tourist route to the Isle of Skye, the photogenic castle is one of Scotland’s most photographed sights and a popular place for highland-themed weddings complete with bagpipes and tartan.

What The Lake District
Where The rural district is in Cumbria, a county northwest of Manchester
Bollywood connection Lahme, Yash Chopra’s critically acclaimed 1991 film, has scenes shot at Nunsmere Hall, a country estate in the district and other parts of the Lakelands.
Why? The postcard perfect lakes and mountains of Cumbria inspired everyone from the Lake Poets to Beatrix Potter. After a walk in Cumbria, William Wordsworth wrote his famous poem Daffodils.

What London
Where The metropolitan hub is a favorite connection for India-bound flights
Bollywood connection London stars in many Bollywood films, most recently Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Namastey London and Salaam-E-Ishq.
Why? Sights and shopping galore! Here’s a short-list: the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Oxford St., West End shows, Harrods, Camden Market and Portobello Road. As a filmi bonus there’s wax doubles of King Khan and Ash at Madame Tussauds.

What University of Oxford
Where The city of dreaming spires is 55 miles northwest of London.
Bollywood connection In 2001’s Mohabbatein, music teacher Shah Rukh Khan nurtures young minds and hearts at Gurukul, a famous (fictional) private school. So it is only appropriate that some scenes were shot at the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
Why? There’s no entry exam to visit the famous colleges, many even offer tours. Some studying is recommended before taking out a punt (boat) for an afternoon on the Thames.

What Snowdonia National Park
Where The park is in Gwynedd, a scenic county on the western shore of Wales
Bollywood connection The rally sequence in the Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi favourite Kyun…! Ho Gaya Na was filmed in Wales in 2003. Locations included the sleepy village of Llanberis and medieval Dolbadarn Castle.
Why visit? Snowdonia attractions include both the highest mountain in Wales and over 60 km of scenic coastline; together these draw over six million snap-happy tourists a year. The huge park is also home to 26,000 people.

What Waddesdon Manor
Where The manor’s near Aylesbury, a short detour en route from London to Birmingham
Bollywood connection Home to the rich clan headed by Amitabh Bachchan in 2001’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
Why visit? Built as a Victorian-era showplace by Baron de Rothschild, the 5000-acre estate is famous for its gardens, art collection and decadent décor. Check out the wine cellars, which contain thousands of bottles, some dating back to the 19th century–unfortunately, there’s no tasting.

What Windsor Castle
Where Windsor, a sleepy suburb west of central London
Bollywood connection Yaadein may have been a box office flop, but the onscreen sizzle between Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan gave rise to rumours of off-screen romance. The 2001 film features shots of the castle and its grounds and Windsor Royal Station, a nearby shopping arcade.
Why visit? Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite weekend home and the largest inhabited castle in the world, parts of the castle date back to 1070. Prince Charles married Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall at the nearby Windsor Guild hall, after original plans for a palace wedding fell through.

_{WORDS RITIKA NANDKEOLYAR

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EROS INTERNATIONAL}