Exotic locations for Bollywood films

Swiss Alps and Trafalgar Square have made way for Masai Mara, Tangier and Trinity College in Bollywood films.With more film scripts set in ‘phoren’ locations, filmmakers want to push the geographical boundaries (literally) to create an exotic feel.
Abbas-Mastan’s Players was shot in Auckland, Wellington and St Petersburg; Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger has been shot in Cuba, Turkey and Ireland, Sajid Khan’s Housefull 2 has been shot in Krabi (Thailand), Jodi Breakers was shot in Mykonos, Saif Ali Khan’s Agent Vinod has been shot in Morocco, Somalia Latvia and nine other cities, Ek Main aur Ekk Tu was shot in Las Vegas, Shortcut Romeo was shot in Nairobi.
Filmmakers reason that the foreign destinations are used in the films only as per the demand of the script. Kabir Khan who is directing Ek Tha Tiger, says he uses locations for “their exotic appeal. Countries like Cuba, Ireland and Turkey have spectacular layers of culture and there are plenty of opportunities for picturesque backdrops. The infrastructure is fantastic. Cuba and Ireland have well-trained technicians and many Hollywood films have also been shot here.” Sajid Khan echoes the same sentiment. He says, “Hangover 2 was shot in Krabi, so I wanted to shoot there too. Shooting abroad gives you the advantage of carrying on your work peacefully, there is no need for crowd control, and there is no compromise on quality.”
Another reason why Bollywood filmmakers use exotic backdrops in films are because of the subsidies filmmakers get from foreign governments to shoot their films in those locations, which in turn lead to tourist inflow in those countries. After ZNMD, the influx of Indian tourists to Spain increased to 32 %. Prague after Rockstar is another preferred destination. Trade analyst Komal Nahata says, “Fiji Islands have declared a 50% and UK has 25%-30% subsidy for filmmakers. But it is also about giving a different experience to the viewer.” Reportedly, Don - 2 got a subsidy between `12 and `15 crore from the German government, Ra.One got a subsidy of `20 crores and Desi Boyz got around `1-2 crore subsidy from the UK government. Trade analysts agree that it works out cheaper to take the cast and crew overseas. The entire film is completed in a single schedule .
Neil Nitin Mukesh says, “The audience wants to see exotic locations in films. It’s visually pleasing to see fancy places, which they don’t get to visit otherwise. But it is high time we start exploring India.”
Foreign destinations are on a must-see list of many viewers, thanks to Bollywood films being shot there. If this means, an enhanced visual experience for the movie buff, then no one’s complaining.