7 Popular Bollywood Movies That Faked Their Location In The Film

Let’s be real, we all know Bollywood is no stranger to faking things. From fake accents (Chunky Pandey we see you) to fake tears and fake hair, most of what we see is far from reality. But that is exactly what makes it so fascinating to watch! There are some films where you feel like you’ve been taken along for the journey. Movies like Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobara, Dil Chahta Hai, Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and so many more took us on some memorable trips across the country and the globe! However, there are many movies out there that have fooled their audiences into thinking they were shot somewhere they actually weren’t. Here is a list of seven movies that were shot in “fake” locations:

1. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Location: Manali

Actually Shot In: Gulmarg

If you were mesmerized by those legendary hills that Naina and Bunny trek on and want to book a ticket to Manali, don’t! The actual location of the hills were in Gulmarg, not Manali. So if you want to recreate Bunny’s iconic, “main udna chahta hoon, girna chahta hoon“… scene, go to Gulmarg instead!

2. Mary Kom

Location: Manipur

Actually Shot In: Himachal Pradesh

In the biopic, the scenes that were supposed to showcase Mary’s hometown of Manipur were actually shot in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Mary Kom is from the Northeast of India and the film did draw some flak for hiring Priyanka Chopra and not a Northeastern actress to play Mary Kom. However, the film did exceptionally well at the box office and Priyanka Chopra won praise for her performance in the role.

3. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Location: Shimla & St. Xaviers

Actually Shot In: Ooty & University of Mauritius

Now, this Karan Johar classic got away with fooling us not just once, but twice! Yes, two of their locations had been faked! Contrary to popular belief, the college phase of Rahul, Anjali, and Tina’s life was not shot in the legendary St. Xavier’s School but in the University of Mauritius instead. And part two of the film, where Rahul travels to “Shimla” to find Anjali at the camp was shot in the Tamil Nadu hill station, Ooty.

4. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Location: Delhi and Chandni Chowk

Actually Shot In: Ramoji Film City and London

Now, this film really thought they could fool us. Well, considering most of us watched this when we were kids, it sorta did. The movie really had us believing that the Raichand’s could find land big enough for their gigantic mansion close to Chandni Chowk. Have you looked at Delhi’s real estate rates? The mansion the Raichand’s lived in is actually called Waddesdon Manor and is located in London. The part of the movie that was supposed to be Chandni Chowk was actually a recreated set in Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad. Talk about production value, right?

5. Chennai Express

Location: Chennai

Actually Shot In: Wai, Satara

Although Chennai is a beautiful city in itself, parts of this film were actually shot in the state of Maharashtra. The actual location was Wai, which is located in Satara district near Pune. The location is quite a popular spot for filmmakers to shoot in as it is extremely tranquil.

6. Fanaa

Location: Kashmir

Actually Shot in: Poland

Although the movie claimed to happen on the snowy capes of Kashmir, they were actually shot in Poland. The European country served as an exotic background in the unfurling of Zooni and Rehan’s complicated love story.

7. Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Reel Location: Sultanpur, Pakistan

Actually shot in: Sonamarg, Kashmir

Although little Munni came from Sultanpur, Pakistan, the officials clearly couldn’t shoot in Pakistan and so the film was shot on parts of the Kashmir valley like Zoji La and Sonamarg instead.

While many of these movies probably had us fooled, some like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham were pretty obvious. In the end though, the only thing that matters is that the movie ended up looking great and we were more focussed on the storyline rather than the location. Do tell us which of these movies faked their location the best in the comment section below. Share this article if you enjoyed it.

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Niharika NayakBA (Media & Communication)

 

Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing video games, and hanging out with stray animals. She has a bachelor's degree in media and communication from the Manipal Institute of Communication and aspires to...more