Talk about Lebanon and everybody thinks of it as a volatile place. Probably that explains why not many movies have been shot here, despite its mountainous scenery.
Director ‘Kabir Khan’ shot a portion of his upcoming Bollywood movie in Lebanon.
Whether this will make more filmmakers head to Lebanon to shoot their movies? We’ll have to wait & watch.
Bollywood Movies Shot in Lebanon
Bollywood movies shot in Lebanon, include ‘An Evening In Paris’ (Shammi Kapoor), however that was years (decades) back.
Kabir Khan’s new film (tentatively titled ‘Phantom’ with Saif Ali Khan & Katrina Kaif, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala), centering on the issue of counter-terrorism, is being shot in Lebanon. The filming was originally planned in Syria but had to move to neighboring Lebanon in the wake of the threatened American strikes last September (2013). The movie was filmed in Downtown Beirut, the populous area of Khandak al-Ghameek, and the mountain areas of Kfardebian (the latter two supposedly representing Syria).
Did You Know?
The shooting of Kabir Khan’s upcoming movie ‘Phantom’ alerted the Israeli Intelligence agencies (known to be proactive & among the sharpest in the world). During the filming of one of the scenes at a refugee camp, near the border area, the agencies got suspicious of the entire act, so much so that they came down to where the shoot was happening for surveillance. After checking the permission documents, and confirming that the entire thing is a movie shoot, the agencies left the area.
It seems, some militants from Amal also participated in the fighting scenes (source close to the Shiite political faction, speaking on condition of anonymity). The two stars were also injured on the sets when filming a sequence featuring a car speeding through an explosion, the two actors were blinded by the heavy smoke, pounded into the vehicle.
Popularity of Bollywood Films in Lebanon
Some time back, the Indian Embassy in Beirut screened a famous Bollywood movie ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ at its premises in Hamra, Beirut, as part of its efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
Kareena Kapoor dancing on a reality show in Lebanon
Lebanon Tourism
Did you know that before the Lebanese Civil War, Beirut was widely regarded as “The Paris of the Middle East”?
Lebanon is slowly rebuilding itself after continued turmoil, and significant investment is currently being made in the modernization and expansion of the tourism sector, with several international hotels returning to Lebanon.
Lebanon’s diverse landscape and ancient history makes it an important destination for tourists. Lebanon offers plenty: from ancient Roman ruins, to well preserved castles, limestone caves, historic Churches and Mosques, beautiful beaches nestled in the Mediterranean Sea, world renown Lebanese cuisine, nonstop nightlife and discothèques, to mountainous ski resorts.
Lebanon is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south.
- Capital: Beirut
- Currency: Lebanese pound
- Official language: Arabic Language
Checkout this video of Destination Lebanon.
