Valentine’s Day 2021: Bollywood’s five most romantic international locations

St. Valentine’s Day is upon us and though celebrations may be slightly muted this year, we can still count on Bollywood to provide some form of escapism.

Today, BizAsiaLive.com looks at five of Bollywood’s best romantic international locations that will make you wish you were taking a flight straight there with your loved one for a romantic break.

Switzerland
Easily described as heaven on earth, and with places like Interlaken, Gstaad and Montbovon offering the perfect setting, it’s no wonder Switzerland became a firm favourite with filmmakers. Raj Kapoor was one of the first to venture to the Swiss mountains with ‘Sangam’ (1964) and this was later followed by Yash Chopra, who really did put Switzerland on the map. ‘Chandni’ (1989) starring Rishi Kapoor and Sridevi showcased their onscreen romance amongst the beautiful backdrops for most of their songs. However it was Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s landmark film ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (DDLJ) (1994) which helped to popularise the country, with so many now going on the ‘DDLJ’ trail for the full experience.

Prague
Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Rockstar’ (2011) was filmed in Prague and provided a very different setting to the idyllic snowy mountains. This European city briming with history and culture was the heart of the romantic musical drama which starred Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri. Some of the scenes were filmed at the steps of the Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, and portions of the Loket Castle.

Spain
Zoya Akthar’s ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ (2011) took audiences on a road trip across the sunny regions of northern and southern Spain. The film encapsulates the rich and diverse culture of the country and was shot in three locations. Seville, a charming capital famous for flamenco dancing, great architecture, and history. Here the popular song Señorita was picturised on Roshan, Farhan Akthar and Abhay Deol and a traditional flamenco dancer. They also went to Palmploma, best known for the Running of the Bulls and the beautiful coastal region of Costa Brava.

Greece
Aziz Mirza’s ‘Chalte Chalte’ (2003) takes us all the way to Greece for this love story. Starring the other great duo, Khan and Rani Mukerji, the track Tauba Tumhaare Yeh Ishaare was shot on the sunny Greek Island of Mykonos. You can get a glimpse of the Mykonos Windmills and the Church of Panagia Paraportiani in the background.

Italy
The Great Gambler (1979) was probably the earliest of Bollywood films that was shot in Venice. The track Do Lafzon Ki Hai was picturised on Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman on a gondola. The melodious song samples Italian lyrics which compliments the Hindi lyrics very well.

Another film, ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ (2008) was shot across various continents. The popular romantic track Khuda Jaane was picturised on Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in different parts of Italy, such as Venice, Alberobello and Santa Cesarea Terme (Apulia), Naples and Capri.

The team at BizAsiaLive.com wishes its readers a very Happy Valentine’s Day!