Zoya Akhtar’s films are well known for its good story, acting and beautiful locations. ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ was majorly shot in a cruise liner which traveled to many places. The movie was shot across Europe in France, Spain, Tunisia, Italy, Turkey and India. While a major chunk of ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ has been filmed on the cruise ship, the exotic locations too have made for a great canvas of the film. The film has been shot at some of the best locations in turkey such as Antalya, Cappadocia and Istanbul.
Dil Dhadakne Do: Another Landmark Bollywood Travel Film in the Making?
Zoya Akhtar and crew shoot the film on a cruise which was sailing through countries like Spain, Italy, France, and Tunisia. The visuals are for sure gorgeous, at times just breathtaking, and at the same time capture the essence of the cities – their culture and the vibe.
At one particular shoot in Sophia Museum, Istanbul, the tourists and staff present in the museum were roped in to shoot for that particular sequence. This is what we call a double whammy for the tourists considering they got to spend 6 long hours with all their favorite actors and also be a part of the movie.
Turkey is the New Favorite
Turkey currently seems to be the new favorite of Bollywood filmmakers. The crew shot the film at places such as Taksim Square, Galata street, Eminonu Promenade.
The production team did a great job and had acquired filming permissions much in advance to ensure everything proceeded smoothly when shooting the film.
Says Zoya, “Can you imagine the hole crew is in a new country everyday? That’s how its like on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean?” Zoya thinks everybody is going to remember the shoot for a long time and thanked Excel Entertainment for pulling it off.
Cruise Tour Operators Want to Cash In
Foreign tour operators are taking every effort to capitalize on the popular destinations shown in ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ (unlike Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, where most in the travel business were caught of-guard and couldn’t capitalize earlier on the success of the film). Most in the travel business are being proactive this time and are trying to capitalize on the early success of Zoya Akhtar’s film, to boost their travel business.
Leading travel agencies have already created a special cruise trip offering a visit to all the beautiful places shown in the movie. Most of the movie has been filmed on a cruise across the Mediterranean Sea, filming at several beautiful locations.
Experts believe that ‘cruise liners’ could be the biggest beneficiaries from the success of the movie.
“The numbers of Indians travelling on cruise liners is miniscule, and even assuming that there are 10 million Indian tourists who travel abroad every year, the number is dismal,” said the Indian representative of Royal Caribbean, one of the big-name international cruise companies operating in India. “We are hoping the movie will boost some interest in the sector.”
A cruise works best for those travelers who prefer to see things at a relaxed pace, and don’t want to cram up their itineraries. Besides, a cruise liner has enough activities on board to keep travelers entertained.
Tour operators are aware how the success of ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ (ZNMD) boosted Spain’s tourism, and they’re hoping a repeat performance with ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’. “After ZNMD, travel agents were surprised. However, this time they have acted prior only”.
Is it Really a Landmark Travel Film?
The promos of ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ were encouraging and the audience loved the scale of the shoot and the various cities that were shown in the movie. So definitely, its one of the landmark Bollywood travel films.
Perhaps, cruise ship in the Mediterranean will see for of Bollywood fans in the coming months. I’m sure the travel businesses in that region are keeping their fingers crossed!
‘Dil Dhadakne Do’, directed by Zoya Akhtar, is about a dysfunctional family out on a cruise trip, and in the course of their vacation, they discover love and friendship. Director Zoya Akhtar had an eye for detail and has shot the film at some stunning locales across the Mediterranean sea.
The film is a sheer travel lovers delight!
