Auckland and Wellington are the two main cities that come to the mind of any Indian, whenever you talk about New Zealand, courtesy Cricket & Bollywood. These two cities feature prominently in most Bollywood movies that have been shot in NewZealand.
And with millions of viewers watching Bollywood films globally, it does give New Zealand a high profile, and people in New Zealand are aware of that. The Indian diaspora there also helps spread the word about Bollywood Down Under.
Actress Asin loves visiting exotic destinations around the world, but admits that New Zealand is special to her. Asin first visited the picturesque location to shoot for one of her early films and also ended up celebrating her 18th birthday during the trip, one she will never forget. Since then Asin has been to the country more than ten times.
Says Asin, “New Zealand is beautiful! My first trip there coincided with my 18th birthday. The scenic beauty of the country is a visual treat and I indulged in so many activities…Explored both the north island as well as the south island. There was so much to learn about the Maori tribe – the original inhabitants and how to date they’ve managed to keep their culture alive. Thanks to my work I have been able to explore and experience the country and totally fall in love with it.”
Films Shot in NewZealand
Here are some of the popular hindi movies shot in NewZealand:
I Hate Luv Storys, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, Om Jai Jagadish, Players, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein.
The movie ‘Players’ (remake of ‘The Italian Job’) was shot in Auckland and Wellington, had around 600 Kiwi extras taking part in the film, and also had a scene where a couple were shown communicating in Maori.
Shooting of Players in Auckland, NZ
One of the most popular Hollywood movie “Lord of the Rings” was also shot extensively in New Zealand.
Advantage to Filmmakers
For filmmakers, the USP of the country is its compactness, which makes it easy to access and shoot footage of its diverse locations – desert-like landscapes, mangrove-fringed tidal inlets, lakes and beaches to forests, wine-growing areas and fjords, glaciers and mountains. The South Island is the home to New Zealand’s highest mountain range, the Southern Alps, which offers filming opportunities at relatively low elevations and quick access to the peaks. Easy access to such a diverse range of locations, without having to travel long distances, is one of the most important reasons that several production houses choose to shoot their films here.
Most of these locations are very close to the major production hubs based in Auckland, Queenstown, Otago and Wellington, which makes it easy to do production and post-production activities.
Another advantage, because its located in the southern hemisphere, is that their seasons are in the opposite order to what the countries in the northern hemisphere have. So if a filmmaker is shooting in their summer and requires a winter location (at a short notice), they can shoot in NewZealand.
Awards & Functions
Madhuri Dixit, one of the most popular Bollywood Actresses of all time, and ShahRukh Khan (arguably the world’s biggest movie star) are set to perform at the Vector Arena (NewZealand) in October. The stars head up a team of 110 cast and crew that work on Temptation Reloaded, a show of singing, dancing, pyrotechnics and visual effects.
Ridgway School Wellington NZ goes Bollywood
Kiwi Sings in her pyjamas, wins Bollywood singing competition
A major Indian music label ran an online singing competition recently, and guess who won it? Not an Indian or a Pakistani, but an Auckland student located all the way in New Zealand. So if you have talent, distant doesn’t matter nowadays. Read more…
New Zealand Tourism
New Zealand is also one of the most popular destinations for holidays, especially when it comes to the Bollywood stars. Bollywood stars & crew are more than happy to come here. They find the landscape here spectacular and very diverse. The dramatic scenery changes from steep mountains and lakes to green fields and river canyons. The food is good and the people are extremely warm and friendly.
Preity Zinta discovers New Zealand
Here are some more details about this beautiful country.
- Capital: Wellington
- Largest city: Auckland
- Currency New Zealand dollar (NZD)
- Drives on the: left
- Calling code: +64
100% Pure New Zealand Tourist Board video
Auckland & Mumbai: ‘Sister Airport’ Relationship
Airport sistership between Mumbai and Auckland airports has been established with the objective of increasing international air links and tourism between the two countries. The ‘sistership’ is important, as India is a key market for New Zealand and is a key focus market for ‘Tourism New Zealand’ over the next few years. Read full story here…
