In 1864, J Lawrence, the Viceroy, named Shimla (then spelled as Simla) the ‘summer capital of British India’. With its beautiful snow-capped mountains, colonial monuments, and natural green valleys, Shimla is one of the most beautiful cities in India. Also regarded as the ‘Queen of Hills’, Shimla, located in the Himalayan foothills, is one of the most famous Bollywood shooting locations in India. The hill station boasts of several examples of fabulous eye-catching architecture at the Viceroy Lodge, the Christ Church, and the Mall road, which have been prominently featured in several Indian films. Starting from R.K. Nayyar’s BnW romantic musical ‘Love in Shimla’ shot in the 1960’s, Shimla has always been an aesthetic paradise for filmmakers till date with movies like Bang Bang and Tamasha. Here we take a look at 5 Bollywood blockbusters shot in Shimla.
- Tamasha
Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone starrer Tamasha, directed by Imtiaz Ali, was filmed briefly in Shimla. Ranbir played the role of a guy from Shimla, who later loves to Delhi for pursuing a job. This movie had scenes of the Jhaku Temple, Ridge, and Toy Train, in Shimla. For tourists looking forward to visiting the beautiful Jhaku Temple from the movie, Shimla has its own Jhaku Ropeway now! Don’t forget to take a ropeway ride from the ridge to the Jhaku temple with a breathtaking top view of Shimla hills and town.
- Bang Bang
Bang Bang features Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif in lead roles where Katrina Kaif played the role of a girl from Shimla. The movie was shot in different locations of Shimla, namely Ridge, Mall Road, Kufri, and Lakker Bazar. The Mall road, being the main street and shopping destination, is another significant tourist favorite in Shimla and has been shown in numerous movies that were shot in Shimla.
- Three Idiots
Three Idiots, directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, was one of the highest-grossing films in the Indian cinema. With Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R. Madhwan, and Sharman Joshi in the lead roles, this movie had numerous scenes that were shot in the Town Hall and Ridge. Shimla’s town hall has been standing tall since 1910 and has been a tourist attraction by oddly being reminiscent of the horror film mansion used in Hammer Film Productions.
- Jab We Met
A 2007 blockbuster by Imtiaz Ali, Jab We Met starring Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in reel-life after their real-life break-up. The movie had a number of beautiful scenes shot in Shimla. The famous song ‘Age jab tum Sajna’ was shot at the Mall Road. Other tourist attractions that made an appearance in the movie were Summer Hill area, Christ Church, and the Mountain Railway.
- Black
With Amitabh Bacchan and Rani Mukherjee in the lead roles, and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Black was selected as one of the best 10 world movies by Time Magazine in 2005. Shot in and around Shimla, Black was majorly filmed in the Woodville Palace of Shimla. Besides the picture-perfect locales of the town, the Woodville Palace has always been a favorite for tourists and film-makers alike.
Although Bollywood started with Shimla as its favorite hill destination, the position was taken up by Kashmir and Switzerland. But with more indie moviemakers hinting at making intellectual short-budget films, Shimla is back on the Bollywood landscape. Shimla will always be a great tourist attraction for people and if you have always fantasized Shimla in these movies, it is time for you to go and explore the ‘Queen of Hills’. Who knows, maybe you can witness the next Bollywood hit being directed right in front of you in Shimla!