Everyone knows about the famous box office hits that were shot in India like Slumdog Millionaire, Eat Pray Love or Life of Pie. But India has proven to be a very popular country for western movies directors, and you might be surprised to find that some of your favourite movies were shot in India. India allows tourists to visit these places for themselves, as long as you hold a valid visa for India if you’re a non-native.
The Dark Knight Rises
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
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In the final part of Christopher Nolan’s immensely popular Batman trilogy, Bruce Wayne is imprisoned in an underground prison by his nemesis Bane. This ominous prison and its surrounding area were shot in India, specifically the Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. The massive fort sits some 400 feet above the nearby city of Jodhpur.
A Mighty Heart
In A Mighty Heart, starring Angelina Jolie, a Wall Street reporter is kidnapped by terrorists in Pakistan. While the movie’s events are set in Karachi, Pakistan, the actual movie itself was shot in Pune, India. This was done for safety reasons, although near the end of filming, parts of the movie were in fact filmed on location in Karachi.
Zero Dark Thirty
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
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In a similar vein, parts of the movie Zero Dark Thirty, a dramatized version of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, was shot in India, specifically the PEC University of Technology in Chandigarh, India. Parts of Chandigarh were made to look like Abbottabad and Lahore in Pakistan, the area where Bin Laden was killed. This led to protests by Hindu nationalist, who fiercely objected to having parts of India be portrayed as Pakistan.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
This fantasy drama starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett tells the story of a man (Pitt) who ages in reverse and all the intricacies and tragedies involved with having such an affliction. Several scenes in the movie were shot in Varanasi, the holy city which straddles the Ganges River. Varansi has always had an air of the mysterious and magic surrounding it, so it’s no surprise producer Ray Stark chose this city to shoot parts of his movie.
Travelling to India to see these film locations? You’ll need a visa
The above mentioned movies are merely those that people may not be aware of were shot in India. The country is immensely popular with western movie directors, with films like The Bourne Supremacy and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol also having parts set in India. Likewise, India draws in millions of tourists each year, likely for the same reasons: to immerse yourself in another world. India is unique in what it offers, and the only way to truly experience this is to visit the country yourself.
However, India has a mandatory visa requirement for western tourists that want to enter the country. This includes British tourists, which might come as a surprise to some considering the close relation the two countries have. Regardless, Brits, like most other visitors, need to apply for an Indian visa if they want to enter the country. India has a modern digital visa system, which means that visa applications can be submitted online. To do so, all you need to do is fill out the Indian visa application form, make the payment and wait for your application to be approved. Once that is done, you’ll receive a confirmation e-mail containing the visa, and you’re good to go!
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