If you live in the North of India, this place may not be new to you, but if you live in the central part of India or towards the south, chances are that you may not have visited this place even once, although its a dream destination for many. We are talking about Leh, Ladakh here.
Ladakh is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India, not just for Indians but also for foreign travelers.
Bollywood filmmakers have also captured the landscape of Ladakh in several hindi films; the most popular movie being 3-Idiots.
Bollywood Movies Shot in Ladakh
The earliest Bollywood movie to be shot here was the war film ‘Haqeqat’ (in 1964), which had scenes of the Leh palace and several other historical places in Leh.
Another war movie ‘Lakshya’ (starring Hrithik Roshan & directed by Farhan Akhtar) was shot at Tanglang La Pass in Ladakh. Rakeysh Mehra’s movie Bhaag Milka Bhaag, featuring Farhan Akhtar, had few scenes (where Milkha trains for the Olympics) that were shot in Ladakh in the Nubra valley.
3-Idiots
A landmark movie in the history of Bollywood, your desire to travel to Ladakh will be intensified thousands of times, when you see this movie.
Looking for Rancho in Ladakh in the movie ‘3-idiots’
Top view of the amazing Ladakh valley
The Idiots finally reach Rancho’s (phunsukh wangdu’s) school, which is actually the ‘Druk white lotus school’ in ladakh
The beautiful Pangong lake in Ladakh, where Kareena Kapoor finally meets Aamir Khan. So does the water really look so clear and blue? Well…almost, although they do touch it up (to make it look better) while editing.
‘Behti Hawa Sa’ song from the movie 3-Idiots
Jab Tak Hai Jaan
SRK in ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ riding across the Indus Valley in Ladakh. The army uniform makes him look even smarter, isn’t it?
Bollywood Songs Shot At Ladakh
Many more Bollywood songs have been shot here, one of them being ‘Tu Hi Tu Satrangi Re’ from Dil Se.
Shooting In Leh & Ladakh
The weather in this region can be a bit tricky, especially for filmmakers, as the weather can quickly change from being sunny to cloudy, within the day. The crew has to deal with freezing temperatures, cloud bursts, low oxygen levels, and even land slides.
The shooting schedule for directors depends on the appearance of the sun, which in turn depends on the cloud movement. Certain days can be more challenging as the sunlight might be available only for an hour or two.
Most Lama’s perform a ritual every morning wherein they light a fire. Its believed that if the smoke disperses, it means there will be a cloud movement followed by sunlight, but if the smoke is static, then it means it’s a cloudy day ahead.
Boxer Vijender Singh Shoots In Leh & Ladakh
Olympic bronze-medalist Vijender Singh is making his Bollywood debut with the film ‘Fugly’, part of which is being shot in Leh & Ladakh.
Well, isn’t it a bit too early for him to retire from boxing and take up an alternative career? Nevertheless, enjoy this song ‘Banjarey’ from the movie ‘Fugly’ by Yo Yo Honey Singh and shot in the mesmerizing locations of Leh-Ladakh.
About Ladakh
Its said that Ladakh is (probably) the only place on earth where you can get both sunburn and frostbite at the same time!
Ladakh, known as the ‘land of passes’ is also the coldest desert in the world; its bound by two of the world’s highest mountain ranges – the Himalayas and Karakoram. Situated at an average altitude of more than 3000 m above sea level, Ladakh is India’s highest plateau. Some even call it ‘Little Tibet’ because of the strong Tibetan influence.
How to Get There
June to September is summer time and also the best time to visit Ladakh (although temperatures can drop sharply at night).
The J&K State Road Transport Corporation (J&KSRTC) operates regular Deluxe and Ordinary bus services between Srinagar and Leh on this route with an overnight halt at Kargil. Taxis (cars and jeeps) are also available at Srinagar for the journey. Gypsy and jeep taxis are also available from Manali in Himachal. One can also fly in to Leh from Delhi & abroad in a day as well. All through the year, there is air service from Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar.
