Delhi, a breeding ground for stars
If the city is not the most often represented on the screens of Bollywood and consorts, several great stars of Indian cinema were born in Delhi or in its surroundings. Shah Rukh Khan (1965-), or King Khan as some call him, is surely the biggest of these celebrities. And you will have no trouble watching any of his cult films like Baazigar (1993), Devdas (2002), or the soberly titled My Name is Khan (2010). Other Delhi-born names include actress Bipasha Basu, seen in 2000s action films like Race, or the grandiose singer Sunidhi Chauhan, one of the most adored voices in Bollywood.
Rollywood never existed
While many regions of India are now huge industrial poles of the seventh art, Rajasthan produces only a few films per year. Yet Rajasthan's history in cinema began in 1942 with Nazrana, the first Marwari-language production, and several films succeeded in becoming national hits, such as Bai Chali Sasariye (1988), a musical that filled theaters that year. The relatively low level of state investment and poor promotion of films seem to have been the main factors in the lack of success of regional cinema. Since 2008, however, a new impetus has been given to this industry, thanks to greater aid and tax exemption for certain investments dedicated to the cinema. Mechanisms that have already proved their worth in many countries, and which attract national and international film shoots and producers.
The Taj Mahal, wonder of the world and Hollywood setting
Like some other great world heritage monuments, the Taj Mahal has regularly been used as a set and/or a showcase by Hollywood. Epic scenes and various cataclysms have thus struck this magnificent tomb, recently reduced to cubes in one of the memorable scenes of Chris Columbus' Pixels (2016). Among these cinematic moments, let's mention for example the great prayer scene in Michael Bay's film Armageddon(1995), where we also see the Lal Qila (Red Fort) of Delhi, and the city of Agra. A decade earlier, the monument appeared in Octopussy (1983), during a brief helicopter trip of James Bond, then played by Roger Moore. More recently, it was Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson who made a detour through the mythical funeral complex in No More Waiting (2007). The opportunity to add this wonder of the world to the list of their characters Carter and Ed, two men each suffering from terminal cancer and who will do everything to enjoy their last moments, and find meaning through their bucket list. Don't hesitate to add it to your list, or to capture it in one of your vacation movies, because this place is highly cinematic.
