Long before Shah Rukh Khan's ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, this film captured London on the big screen

'Sangam' is directed by Raj Kapoor and can lay claim to being the first Bollywood film to have a significant number of scenes filmed outside of India. Showcasing beautiful iconic British, South Asian, and European locations - including Trafalgar Square and King’s Cross railway station, and multiple scenes set in historical romantic sites. The film became a springboard for future Indian films to use alternative international sites for set pieces and song sequences.

Though many associate London shoots with modern films, 'Sangam' was decades ahead of its time. The movie captured several of London’s famous landmarks, offering Indian audiences a glimpse of the city’s charm long before the trend became popular in the 1990s.

While 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' is often credited with popularizing European locations in Bollywood, its fame primarily stems from its extensive Swiss sequences. The film also included scenes in London, such as King’s Cross and Angel Underground stations, continuing the legacy of international filming initiated by 'Sangam'.

'Sangam' demonstrated that foreign locations could add visual richness and grandeur to Bollywood films. Its sequences in London, Paris, and Switzerland not only elevated the cinematic experience but also inspired directors to think beyond India for scenic backdrops.

By filming abroad, 'Sangam' broke away from studio-bound production norms. It introduced audiences to on-location shooting in multiple countries, paving the way for future films like 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', which would make Europe, especially Switzerland, synonymous with Bollywood romance.

The international shoots of 'Sangam' opened doors for Bollywood to reach a global audience. Viewers were introduced to iconic foreign cities, making them aspirational and adding a cosmopolitan flavor to Indian cinema that would influence decades of filmmaking.

The success of 'Sangam' set the stage for the widespread use of foreign locales in Bollywood films. While 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' cemented Switzerland in the public imagination, it was 'Sangam' that pioneered the concept of filming major sequences abroad, starting a trend that continues in contemporary cinema.