‘Kantara 2’; ‘Varanasi: When Indian filmmakers ditched green screens and VFX for real locations

While modern cinema relies heavily on green screens and VFX, some filmmakers still go the extra mile to shoot in real locations to capture raw emotion and offer a real vibe to it, just like how the Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan uses.


Several big-budget films have stunned audiences not just with performances, but with their real-world backdrops. From Kantara to the upcoming Varanasi, here’s a closer look at the real locations of some of the south movies.

Kantara

The movie is set against the spiritual and cultural fabric of pre-colonial Karnataka. Rishab Shetty's 'Kantara' draws much of its power from its carefully chosen locations. The coastal town of Kundapura in Udupi district is the primary backdrop. The place offers beaches, forests, and a deep-rooted cultural identity that perfectly matched the film’s narrative. Massive sets were constructed alongside temporary camps to recreate the era of the Kadamba dynasty.

Another location in the movie is the Sri Keshavanatheshwara Temple at Moodagallu which is a rare natural cave temple where devotees walk through water inside the cave. It is surrounded by legends and natural beauty and the temple added an intense spiritual aura to the film which demands such a tone.




The Mani Dam backwaters which is built across the Netravathi River, brought surreal visuals with misty valleys and dense rainforests. Sakleshpura, in the Western Ghats, hosted major action sequences, with its coffee plantations and rugged terrain. These locations provide a raw, dramatic feel that adventure lovers now seek to explore firsthand.

'Varanasi' and 'Raavan'

SS Rajamouli’s upcoming 'Varanasi' blends real locations with grand recreations. As reported by News 18, while Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad hosts an elaborate set of Varanasi’s ghats and temples due to logistical challenges, the 'Eega' director also ventured into Kenya’s Amboseli National Park for large-scale jungle and action sequences. Portions shot in Odisha’s Koraput and Talamali hill regions add rugged realism, while further international schedules and VFX-heavy IMAX sequences are expected to expand the film’s visual canvas.

Mani Ratnam’s iconic film Raavan took realism to another level. Athirappilly Falls and the surrounding Vazhachal forests in Kerala became iconic through breathtaking song and action sequences. As reported by Native Planet, additional shoots happened in Chalakudy, Malayattoor, Ooty, Tumkur forests, Malshej Ghats, Mahabaleshwar, and Hogenakkal Falls. Reportedly such shooting locations demanded strength from the crew, often facing rain, illness, and environmental hurdles.

Manichitrathazhu

Up next is the iconic Malayalam classic 'Manichitrathazhu'.The Mohanlal starrer 1993 film set a milestone in horror story telling and was remade in several languages from Telugu to Bollywood. The original movie stands out and one of the major aspects is it's location which relied entirely on real heritage structures to create its unforgettable mood. Padmanabhapuram Palace, with its wooden corridors and royal halls, became the soul of the film’s mysterious mansion. Hill Palace in Tripunithura further added to the eerie grandeur, while select portions were shot at Vasan House in Chennai. Even as we watch the movie today, we can feel a raw vibe and a horror mood to each and every sequences which was missing from Rajinikanth's film 'Chandramukhi' where we can feel an artificial nature to the set pieces.



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