When Germans, known for their reserve, go berserk inside a movie theatre for a Bollywood film, it is time to sit up and take notice. The Bollywood craze has indeed taken the German cinemaspace by storm over the past few years.
In the land of Bach and Beethoven, Hindi films – and stars – are indeed creating an alternative subculture!
Today, Hindi films are all over Germany, be it theatres, television (primetime slots) or Home videos, Bollywood seems to be all over the place.
And of-course, its King Khan…the Badshah…none other than SRK, who’s the most popular actor in Germany. After all, it all started with My Name is Khan.
Movies Shot in Germany
Here are some of the Indian movies shot in Germany, a country that’s located in the heart of Europe and one that shares its borders with Nine European countries.
- Aap Ka Suroor
- Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya
- Dil Toh Pagal Hai
- Don 2
- Hadh Kar Di Aapne
- Hero No. 1
- Jeena Sirf Merre Liye
Bollywood comes to Heidelberg
Bollywood in Germany – AAP KA SUROOR
While almost every second Hindi film heads to London and Canada for shooting abroad, Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Productions made an exception by shooting Don 2 in Berlin, Germany.
It was a masterstroke as the lead actor Shah Rukh Khan has a huge fan following in Germany that later translated into increased box-office collections.
Here are some of the German locations that you may have seen in hindi movies:
- Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Germany
- Europa-Park, Rust, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Cathedral, Berlin, Germany
- Holbeinsteg Bridge, Frankfurt, Germany
- Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany
- DZ-Bank, Berlin, Germany
- Park Inn Berlin Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany
- Kurhaus, Wiesbaden, Germany
Most of these you would see in Don 2.
German Actors in Bollywood
Saidah Jules (of German origin) is making her Bollywood debut with the movie ‘JAL’, and is a big fan of SRK. “Saidah believes SRK is everyone’s inspiration in Bollywood and gives a warm welcome to everyone from the fraternity like a true gentleman in spite of being a superstar”.
Shah Rukh, when he met Saidah, encouraged the young actress and advised here that there’s no substitute for sincerity, hard work and a professional attitude. Saidah, not only wants to make it big, but also aspires to work with her idol SRK some time in the future.
Claudia, the ‘Balma girl’ (item song) is also half-German!
Germany Keen to Collaborate With Bollywood
A few years back, delegates of Berlin-Brandenburg Film Commission (BBFC) and inward investment agency Berlin Partner were in Mumbai to explain about their services. The audience consisted of Indian producers and creative professionals, and there were some healthy discussions on co-production opportunities and possibilities for development of joint projects.
The BFFC is basically the central contact agency for production companies and filmmakers who want to film in Berlin. Their job is to provide connections to the appropriate regional contacts and offer assistance on issues relating to applications, shooting permits, locations and equipment.
What makes Germany’s capital region (Berlin) an internationally attractive location for film production are ‘Attractive financing and funding opportunities, internationally competitive service providers, a large pool of creative cinema professionals and a wide array of impressive settings’.
And because Bollywood is on an expansion path, it makes complete sense to engage with Bollywood.
When Bollywood stars go to Germany for the Berlin International Film Festival, they are surprised to see how many people from Germany, Austria or Switzerland know them, know their movies, and are fans of theirs. Even Rajnikanth is very well known there.”
Getting Popular with Indian tourists
Germany has witnessed a growth of 55 per cent in traffic from India for the period 2007-2012, and they are making every effort to attract more tourists from India.
Places in Germany which are popular among Indians are Munich, Garmisch, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and its surroundings, Cologne, Hannover, Hamburg and of course the Black Forest highlands. Berlin and the state of Saxony are upcoming destinations for the Indian traveler with more and more people choosing these cities for their vibrant appeal.
Don’t forget to watch this funny video of how things are different in INDIA and GERMANY:
Exploring Germany by Train
Eurostar is in its 20th year, and at last has started doing something that many travelers would have expected years ago: selling tickets from London to cities in Germany. The tickets include the Eurostar segment to Paris or Brussels and the connecting sector with Deutsche Bahn (German Railways). A single Eurostar ticket will now take you as far as Munich. The implications for British travellers are profound, Read full story here…
