We Finally Found the Secret Locations of Bollywood's Best Films!

Ever wonder where some of your favourite Bollywood movies have been shot? Where do all those haunted houses in scary movies spring up from and how does Bollywood manage to find breathtaking homes again and again? Well, some of them are pre-fabricated sets on the studio’s back lot, some are elaborate custom made sets and some are even real-life homes of famous people! But a lot of times, what passes for the evil Thakur’s Haveli or the hero’s palatial mansion and even a ghost-ridden house situated north of back-of-the-beyond is actually a hotel.

Want all the juice on Bollywood’s secret locations? Plant yourself firmly in a comfy chair and read on, allowing your wandering heart to dream of your next vacation. You can also stay at these properties, so make sure you book your tickets once you’ve picked your favourite location:

Athirapally, Kerala:

Remember the beautifully shot song Barso re from Mani Ratnam’s Guru ? And that dense, slightly scary jungle from Ravan – the hideout of Abhishek Bachchan’s character and where the police go hunting for Aishwarya Rai’s character? Athirapally Resorts deep in Kerala’s rainforest near Kochi is where all this action takes place. The imposing Athirapally Waterfalls form a majestic backdrop to this otherwise quiet resort, and all you have to do to get here is book your tickets right away!

 

Chail Palace, Himachal Pradesh:

You loved Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots – the one where the film’s most memorable character, Ranchoddas Chanchad lived in a palatial home somewhere up in the Himalayas. True enough, it is in the Himalayas, but the ‘home’ is actually a Himachal Tourism heritage hotel called Chail Palace in Chail.  You can call it home too, for a few days, if you plan your Chail trip now. Go on, you know you want to!

 

Hotel Narain Niwas Palace, Rajasthan:

There has been no dearth of (real life) rajahs and maharajahs in Indian history – with one for every 100 miles once upon a time. The royals may have gone, but they’ve left an indelible impression on the country’s architectural landscape with their majestic palaces and havelis. And that’s great news for our film makers who couldn’t do without a palace for period dramas like Shyam Benegal/Khalid Mohammad’s Zubeida. Head to the Pink City, Jaipur and live like royalty at Hotel Narain Niwas Palace, featured in the movie and soak in the grandeur of a bygone era.

 

Grandhotel Giessbach, Switzerland:

When we go to Switzerland, we’re secretly hoping to see a sari-clad beauty being romanced by a charming young man. Admit it. But long before Yash Chopra took Raj and Simran to the Saanen railway station in Kanton Bern, the ultimate showman, Raj Kapoor shot his tale of enduring love – Sangam at the Grandhotel Giessbach in Brienz, Switzerland. No time like the summers to take a Switzerland trip and feel the magic of the place first hand, right?

 

Hotel Don Jilton, Spain:

How did Zoya Akhtar find a quaint little hotel in Valencia, Spain to film a pivotal scene in her 3-buddies-on-vacation drama Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara ? We really don’t know. What we do know is that if you planned your vacation right now, you could be in Bunol in Valencia at this quirky little place called Hotel Don Jilton, waiting for the La Tomatina or just walking around the city’s cobbled pathways, enjoying a drink at the local taverna to the tune of soulful Fado!

 

Imagining yourself at one of these destinations already? Then wait no more and book your holiday to these beautiful destinations now!