Launch of Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) has catapulted it to a unique position as being the World’s largest office building surpassing Pentagon. If we remember, in most of the Hollywood movies Pentagon building invariably featured as a backdrop or a location for the films which catapulted this building to a place of eminence around the world. With the launch of SDB, one hopes that SDB henceforth holds fort in all the forms of cinematic exposition, be it cinema, OTT or serials from India and make it a must visit itinerary for travellers in the near future.
Spectacle of screen entices when it uses the locations which are larger than life to weave a story around it the location could be static, like iconic architectural structures that includes in Indian case, Taj Mahal (which has been used number of times as the title of a film or a serial), Humayun Tomb, Qutub Minar, Gateway of India, a Howrah Bridge (which incidentally was the name of a film).
But the historical architecture has a timeline of freshness associated with it to be used as a backdrop. No wonder the modern civil architecture edifices are used as a part of the landscape of cinema.
In the Black & White era of Hindi films Marine Drives invariably formed a backdrop and the iconic films of Dev Anand – Taxi Driver (1954) CID (1956), etc., all provided and invoked an element of romanticism around that cinematic representation. As a matter of fact, Dev Anand was one of the most prominent filmmakers utilizing modern urban landscapes to weave narrative of his cinema.
So Dev Anand’s Tere Ghar Ke Saamne (1963) could perhaps be the first film that captured cinematically evolution of architecture of Chandigarh and it was contrasted historically by shooting Dil ka bhawar kare pukar in qutub minar – a 13 century monument (last film to be shot there). One of the most frequently used modern architectures in the world of Hindi cinema from Mumbai was the backdrop of ICICI Bank and ILFS Building in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and it must have been used in more than 100 films and other cinematic expositions before that empty space was gobbled up by buildings which are now chalk a block and do not allow a camera the luxury to pan through them and create a cinematic glory for them for posterity.
While the Metro Man E Sreedharan may have got the name and fame for the time bound action plan that he implemented to set up Delhi Metro, his modern architectural wonder could gravitate to immortality through the cinematic lens. Subhash Ghai’s film Black And White (2006) was first mainstream film that was shot in Delhi Metro to be followed by three films in 2008 – Delhi 6, Dev D and Love Aaj Kal followed by Paa in 2009. Abhishek Bachchan could have a unique distinction to have two films in his oeuvre being shot in Delhi Metro. Incidentally, there might be a notion that the scene where Aamir Khan is distributing pamphlets in PK purportedly is Delhi Metro but it in reality is Rapid Metro. These days it is a tough ask to get permission to shoot in Delhi Metro and could this be one of the reasons why we are seeing scores of Reels being made illegally.
Bangalore as a city became an integral part of the Hindi cinema for a decade or so starting Coolie (1983), and thenceforth the iconic architectural structures like the Vidhan Soudha, The High Court building and the Gulmohar laden streets of Bangalore in and around Vidhan Soubha got cinematic indulgence.
While Dev Anand may have used foreign locales in abundance, but the true glory of the famous cities attained immortality when Yash Chopra decided to move his megaphone to the European countries, most frequent being Switzerland, which was followed by scores of filmmakers thenceforth. Incidentally, Yash Chopra chose Switzerland and immortalized it through his films as it was his honeymoon destination with Pamela Chopra. His first film in Switzerland – Faasle (1985) could not position Switzerland in the memories of the fans, Chandni (1989) provided the immortality to Switzerland thenceforth and it became a sort of must visit places in the bucket list of the aficionados.
In the same manner Karan Johar immortalized Brooklyn Bridge in the memory of the fans through his Kal Ho Na Ho (2003) with the song, Har ghadi badal rahi hai roop zindagi.
Bottom line is that these cities and the landscapes that defined these cities got a place of permanence owing to picturisation of a hit song and when the song was not a hit the locations were also forgotten however exclusive they may have been.
So, when Burj Khalifa came up in Dubai it became the most sought-after location to shoot a film and even a Tom Cruise through his famous film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) acknowledge the magnificence of the Burj Khalifa by shooting one of the most challenging sequences of his film. Hindi film industry was not far behind. As a matter of fact, Akshay Kumar starrer, Laxmi Bomb (2020), devoted a song eulogising the magnificence of Burj Khalifa and this famous architectural façade is used to light up the launch of famous and anticipated films including Fast And Furious 9. Burj Khalifa as a matter of fact was sort of broad-banded through the series of music videos, Punjabi being the dominating language to add mystique to this architectural wonder.
Another such architectural marvel also exists in the Asian neighbourhood, the Petronos Twin Towers, where Don (2006) and Don (2011) were shot. The first film which was shot in the Petronos Twin Towers was Entrapment (1999), but the authorities were not happy at the created liberty taken by the filmmakers in using the Petronos Twin Towers in the film. May be this could be the reason for these towers not forming a cinematic backdrop before Farhan Akhtar landed in Kuala Lumpur to shoot his Don series.
Now with Surat Diamond Bourse emerging as the new architectural marvel in the landscape of India, we should see a series of films and music videos both popularising this landscape.
(Originally published on July 22, 2023)
