Bollywood’s love of London marked with new movie map
A new movie map, which celebrates the range of locations across the capital to feature in Bollywood films, was launched by Film London and Visit London.
As well as featuring numerous venues in central London including museums, shopping centres and well-known landmarks, the map also covers locations across the breadth of the capital from Osterley Park(Kabhi Khushie Kabhie Gham) in the west, through to Stratford Station (Mujhse Dosti Karoge) and Canary Wharf (I…Proud to be an Indian) in the east.
The capital is proving an increasingly popular destination for Indian crews, with over 40 Bollywood productions filmed in London last year, including Salaam-E-Ishq and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. Film London plays a vital role in supporting Indian productions, providing crews with assistance, support and advice and liaising with different venues, agencies and local authorities to ensure filming is as seamless as possible.
Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London said: “This map demonstrates Bollywood’s real contribution to London’s economy, its cultural vibrancy, and status as an international centre for film production. Bollywood films also offer a unique take on some of London’s iconic landmarks, giving Londoners the opportunity to see them in a new light and showcasing the capital on cinema screens across the globe.”
James Bidwell, CEO Visit London said: “London continues to be an inspirational setting for many Bollywood films with a mixture of traditional, modern and diverse locations available. The Bollywood Movie Map will give fans of Indian cinema the chance to visit the locations and landmarks immortalised on screen from over 20 top Bollywood films and follow in the footsteps of their favourite stars.”
This is the eighth in a series of movie maps which are designed to encourage tourists, Londoners and film-lovers alike to discover the capital through films shot in the city.
Maps are currently available in tourist information centres around the UK and overseas, Cineworld cinemas and hundreds of restaurants, bars, cafes and cinemas in London’s West End.
The launch of the map coincides with the unveiling of a waxwork of Shah Rukh Khan, an A-list Bollywood star at Madame Tussauds. Two of Shah Rukh Khan’s most popular films Kabhi Khushie Kabhie Gham and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge are featured in the Bollywood Movie Map.
Londoners and visitors to the capital will also be able to sample the richness of India's culture, when the capital stages India Now, a spectacular three-month season celebrating Indian culture and including business events, backed by the Mayor of London. This will culminate in an India-themed Regent Street Festival at the beginning of September, which is expected to attract up to 500,000 people. India will also be the theme of the annual cultural arts festival that takes place in Trafalgar Square each August. These activities complement the annual celebrations for Diwali, Eid and Vaisakhi and the London Mela.
India Now will take place in advance of a planned visit to Mumbai and Delhi towards the end of the year by the Mayor, aimed at strengthening links between London and India.