Cashin’ in on the capital!

'Chalo Dilli', seems to be Bollywood’s new mantra.

doweshowbellyad=0; Akshay Kumar (TOI Photo) More picsForget the snow-clad mountains of Switzerland and bid adieu to the exotic beaches of Bangkok, it��s apni Dilli that��s capturing the imagination of Bollywood lately.
Delhi is now set to rule the Bollywood marquee with filmmakers flocking to the capital. What��s more, not only is the city an important element of storylines, but it��s name too is being featured in film titles.
When the lead protagonists of Rakeysh OmPrakash Mehra��s Rang De Basanti held candle-light vigils and marched hand-in-hand, what stood out apart from their inspiring unity was the India Gate in the backdrop.It was as much a part of the film as were Waheeda Rehman��s tears.
The filmmaker is now back in the capital to shoot Dilli 6 with Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor. Delhi also became the battle ground for Shah Rukh Khan and his Chak De girls and it also served as the backdrop for Ajay Devgan��s Sunday. After several cross-country movies, filmmaker Deepa Mehta has now settled on Delhi for her next Lisa Ray-starrer Stella, while Rohan Sippy��s Chandni Chowk to China starring Akshay Kumar, too, is set in the crowded bylanes of Old Delhi as is Subhash Ghai��s Black and White.

Aamir Khan too seems to have been captivated by the charm of puraani Dilli after romancing Kajol in its ruins in Yash Chopra��s Fanaa. One of his forthcoming films has been aptly titled Delhi Belly. According to sources, the film will be to Delhi what Shantaram will be to Mumbai. Says Aamir Khan, ��Each city has a character that is cinematically explored by filmmakers depending upon the script.�� Cheeni Kum was another film that saw Amitabh Bachchan land there to woo his lady love Tabu, while Delhi campus became the backdrop of college politics in

Dil, Dosti, Etc... The name Delhi Heights too aroused a lot of curiosity even though the film failed to rise to any height.
Interestingly, though Delhi was an important element in a lot of Yash Chopra films in the past �� Silsila to Kabhi Kabhie to Chandni �� over the years it went into remission. It was Kajol��s brash Chandni Chowk-girl-act in Karan Johar��s Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham that brought the city back into our living rooms. Not long ago, Mira Nair too was much lauded for capturing beautifully the essence of Delhi in Monsoon Wedding, and in spite of being just a backdrop, the humdrum of the bustling city very much formed a part of the film��s spirit.
Trade pundits credit this sudden interest in the city to it��s colourful vibrancy, a history and a raw appeal that hasn��t yet been explored like Mumbai. Filmmaker Ghai sums it all up, ��The city has a character of it��s own and a history of 150 years. Yet it hasn��t lost it��s colour and seems cocooned in a time warp. It��s diversities and contrasts are interesting to capture on screen. It��s stimulating for any creative mind.��

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