Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai

Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai
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A bustling hub on India’s west coast, Mumbai (known as Bombay until 1995) is one of the busiest and most fascinating cities in the world. With its compelling blend of tradition and modernity, few cities can match the vibrant mix of culture, cuisine and history that awaits at every turn. The city also boasts a strong connection to both the Indian and American film industries, playing a part in numerous classics over the years. We’ve picked a few worthy locations you can visit that have been captured on film by some of the greatest names in the business, to satisfy both the tourist and the movie fan in you!

By Victoria Luxford

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Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Royal Bombay Yacht Club (Tenet, 2020) – One of the few big screen releases during 2020, Christopher Nolan’s globetrotting spectacle set a very important sequence in Mumbai. The Royal Bombay Yacht Club is where John David Washington’s protagonist meets his contact for the first time (played by Robert Pattinson). The club is members-only, but the outside architecture is impressive – and if you want to truly relive the film, the high-rise apartment building the pair scale is Neelam Shree Vardhan Tower in South Mumbai (although we suggest just taking a photograph).

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Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Marine Drive (Wake Up Sid, 2009) – It would be difficult to pick just one film that has featured Mumbai’s glamorous Marine Drive promenade, given the area is a hot spot for all manner of productions big and small thanks to its scenic views and opportunity for spectacular sunset shots. We’ve chosen Wake Up Sid, a charming coming-of-age tale where Ranbir Kapoor’s student is taught the value of responsibility. It was a commercial and critical hit, with one of the film’s moving sequences set against the unmistakable backdrop of Marine Drive.

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Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Hal (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977) – We like to offer an excursion with our guides, just in case you want a break from the city. For this, we can’t think of anything better than a side trip to Hal, a small village around 55 kilometres outside of Mumbai. It was here that the great French director François Truffaut filmed his scenes for Steven Spielberg’s classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, tracking the film’s signature tone being chanted by locals. It has retained its breathtaking natural beauty over 40 years on.

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Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat (Mumbai Diaries aka Dhobi Ghat, 2010) – The city’s vast laundry region is located by the train station in the south of the city. It’s a chance to see another side to the location, and offers the kind of insight that was intended by director Kiran Rao’s 2010 drama, which he claimed used Mumbai as a character in itself. The episodic tale brings together four people from different walks of life, intersecting in the titular area. You may discover something about yourself, much like the characters in the movie, or simply explore a unique and wonderful part of the city!

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Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Mumbai Port Trust (Gandhi, 1982) – A biopic about the great leader of India’s fight for independence, this film by Sir Richard Attenborough has drawn some criticism for its Hollywood interpretation of history, but nonetheless remains an Oscar-winning classic in the eyes of many. Scenes for a protest staged in Kolkata were actually shot on a ship in Mumbai’s port, which lies within the city’s harbour. It’s a great way to connect with the city’s history, and the nearby Mumbai Port Trust Garden would make a nice addition to your sightseeing.

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Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Ra.One, 2011) – At the time of its release, superhero movie Ra.One was the most expensive Indian film of all time, embracing the latest in special effects to push the envelope for what was possible on screen. Mumbai’s vast train system also played a part in one of the show-stopping action sequences, where megastar Shah Rukh Khan defies physics as he jumps through trains in a pursuit that ends in the city’s spectacular Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (informally known as CST Station). As well as Ra.One, Oscar-winning British-Indian film Slumdog Millionaire also shot its closing musical number at the station.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Taj Mahal Palace Hotel (Hotel Mumbai, 2018) – Affectionately nicknamed “The Taj”, this hotel is one of the finest in the world and has played host to celebrities and dignitaries in over a century of existence. It is, however, also the location of a horrific 2008 terrorist attack, which was the subject of the film Hotel Mumbai starring Dev Patel and Armie Hammer. For those who want to think of the location in more positive terms, President Barack Obama stayed at the hotel in 2010, giving a speech in praise of the city, and it was another location in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.

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Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Crossroads Shopping Mall (Dhoom, 2004) – The first in a trilogy, Dhoom has drawn comparisons to the Fast & Furious and Ocean’s franchises for its action-packed story of a police officer (Abhishek Bachchan) looking to take down a criminal motorbike gang with the help of a racer (Uday Chopra). Filmed all over the city, one of Dhoom’s more notable scenes occurred inside Crossroads Mall in the city centre. Something of a landmark for shoppers, it’s a place to indulge your retail habits while also walking in the footsteps (or should that be tyre tracks?) of movie heroes.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Gateway of India (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, 2011) – The incredible historical monument, erected in Mumbai in the early 20th century, can be found close to the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. It also has a small cameo in the film Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, establishing a scene set in the city. Although much of the following sequence was shot on movie sets, Mumbai is an established part of the movie, and Tom Cruise himself travelled here to promote the film’s release at a glamorous premiere. The Mission Impossible films have taken in a lot of locations over the years, but Mumbai seems to have made enough of an impression for Hollywood’s biggest star to return.

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Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Colaba Causeway (Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, 2012) – Two of India’s most popular and influential stars, Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor, both filmed a pivotal scene at the Leopold Café in the cultural hub of Colaba Causeway. The surrounding area also boasts a number of tourist hotspots, including the art deco Regal Cinema, the National Gallery of Modern Art and many other cultural and historical attractions. It’s a place to relive some cinematic history, as well as take in the latest cultural treasures!

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Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Aksa Beach (God Tussi Great Ho, 2008) – Some locations have to be recognised, but this 2008 Indian comedy, a remake of the American film Bruce Almighty, puts the location in a song! Star Salman Khan looks for love in the song “Tujhe Aksa Beach Ghuma Du”, set on the titular beach in the city’s vacation spot of Aksa Village. The comedy, where Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan plays God, showcases the area’s beauty and puts it on the top of the list for sun-worshipping movie fans.

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Culture
Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai.
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Dharavi (Slumdog Millionaire, 2008) – Every city has different aspects to its character, and the area of Dharavi may be best known as the slum featured in Danny Boyle’s smash hit Slumdog Millionaire. The densely populated district has its own unique community, with street vendors and markets lining the street passing through the area. There were mixed reactions to the portrayal of the country in Boyle’s film, but it did bring to Western attention an area of the world that many cinemagoers may not otherwise be aware of.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Mumbai

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