Why Bollywood Movies Film in Eastern Europe
The leading country and movie production is none other than India. Bollywood produces more films than any other country in the world. Each year, over 1,000 films are produced and released in India in over 20 languages.
This is larger than Hollywood’s average number of yearly releases by about 300 movies. Because India has to keep up with their most popular industry, there’s a constant need for filming locations. Bollywood films have been filmed all around the world, but covid has made the 2020-2021 season much harder. As things return to normal, Bollywood producers will be on the lookout for more European places to shoot for the Indian Film Market.
One of the most prominent reasons Indian movies are produced in movies is its cost-effectiveness. As opposed to major cities in India, or big-shot countries like France and Italy, Eastern European countries have a lot of flexibility and save Indian Filmmakers money. According to the executive producer of Geetha Arts, Saran Raparthy Eastern Europe is, “more flexible in terms of budgets and time spent on location.”
Europe is a significant setting in many Indian films. The famous 2013 movie “Chandee” was filmed among the beautiful mountains of Switzerland. The romantic comedy, “Hum Tum” followed the main characters Rani and Saif around Amsterdam. And most of the Hindi movie “Rockstar” was shot in Prague.
Indian films are heavily influenced to shoot in European countries because of film festivals, too. The Indian government has pushed to send more Indian box office hits to film festivals across the world. In fact, “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” was one of the first Indian films to be dubbed and shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 with a German film distribution company. Having a European setting helped the movie appeal to larger audiences because they could relate to the story and background while learning about Indian culture.
Poland and Iceland are some of the best European countries to film Indian movies because they have short flight times, and they provide economic advantages. For instance, Iceland allows Bollywood producers to film in their country and these films encourage residents of India to visit this Nordic country. This is advantageous to India and Iceland. Both countries promote one another through these movies.
Overall, India is the best country for producing films. Bollywood leads the world in the film making market. To truly make a renowned Bollywood film, the location has to be perfect. Eastern Europe has great opportunities because of its affordability and beauty.
Sources: SCMP, The Location Guide, Oprah Daily, The Hindu, Book My Show
