NEW
MAP OF BOLLYWOOD'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH LONDON
By Prasun Sonwalkar, Indo-Asian News Service (30 April 2007)
As
Bollywood's love affair with London continues with films being
shot at various locations here, British film authorities have
now unveiled a new map that lists venues where recent blockbusters
were shot. The new movie map is eighth in a series of maps designed
to encourage tourists and cinema-lovers alike to discover the
capital through films. More than 40 Hindi films were shot in London
last year.
So
the next time tourists from India come visiting, they can visit
locations where popular films such as "Kabhi Khushie Kabhi
Gham"(Osterley Park) or "Mujhse Dosti Karoge" (Starford
Station) were shot.
Some
of the most popular locations for Indian films have been Trafalgar
Square, Natural History Museum, Tower Bridge, the Royal Albert
Hall, Millennium Dome, the houses of parliament, Nelson's Column
and the London Eye.
Some
of the better-known films shot at London locations are:
-
The Waterloo Station is Britain's largest station, covering
an area of 24.5 acres. In "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom" (2007),
it is the key location around which the story revolves, including
a dance sequence starring Amitabh Bachchan. Complex scenes were
filmed early on weekend mornings, but the majority was shot
during the day while amazed passengers looked on.
-
The London Eye is one of London's most popular filming locations
thanks to its unique silhouette against the capital's skyline.
Shoots include "Bride & Prejudice" (2004), "Wimbledon"
(2004) and "Thunderbirds" (2004).
-
Southall is home to one of the largest Indian communities in
London and was the setting for Simran's home in "Dilwale
Dulhania Le Jayenge" (1995). The external shots were filmed
in Southall but the internal shots were filmed in Film City,
Mumbai.
-
The Albert Memorial is located in Kensington Gardens and was
commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her husband in 1861.
It features in "Mujhse Dosti Karoge" (2002) and also
appears in "The Jokers" (1967), starring Michael Crawford
and Oliver Reed, and "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan,
Lord of the Apes" (1984).
-
Hyde Park was one of one of the locations for a song in "Kabhi
Khushi Kabhie Gham". The song culminates with an early
morning dance sequence shot at the British Museum.
Several
cinemas in London screen Bollywood films, including the Himalaya
Palace, Southall; Safarai Cinema, Harrow; Belle-Vue Cinema, Willesden
Green, and the Boleyn Cinema, Upton Park. Cineworld Cinemas in
Wood Green, Wandsworth and Feltham also have regular Bollywood
screenings.
To
celebrate the partnership between the Indian and British film
industries, the International Indian Film Academy is coming to
Yorkshire for a weekend of film premieres, festivals, special
events and awards June 7-10.
The
launch of the map coincided with the recent unveiling of a waxwork
of Shah Rukh Khan at Madame Tussauds. Two of his most popular
films, "Kabhi Khushie Kabhie Gham" and "Dilwale
Dulhania Le Jayenge", are featured on the movie map.
The
movie map can be downloaded at www.filmlondon.org.uk.
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