Locations in Europe: Athens and Mykonos in Greece
Storyline
Star(s): Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Satish Shah, Johny Lever
Songs/Dance: Located in Europe and India
Indian/ International Crew: Indian
Language: Hindi
Line Producer/Executive Producer/Associate Producer: Anil Sable, Sanjiv Chawla (Executive Producers). Nikos Doukas (Production Manager)
Director/Producer: Aziz Mirza (Director); Juhi Chawla, Shah Rukh Khan, Aziz Mirza (Producers)
Film Location Analysis
By Ranjani Mazumdar
Greece features in the film because Priya grew up there, and we are first introduced to Mykonos and Athens when Raj follows Priya on the same flight to try and persuade her to be with him. Because of weather conditions, the plane is forced to land in Mykonos, setting the stage for a walk around the island and the song "Suno na." Yet most of the architectural sites used for the song are in Athens, making it clear that it was not geographical and territorial integrity that framed the use of space here but architectural splendour. In keeping with this, we first see Raj and Priya briefly walk across the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, which is entirely built of marble and considered one of the city’s main tourist attractions. This is the stadium that showcases the handover ceremony of the Olympic flame. We then quickly go through some general sightseeing of shops, games, a wishing well, and everyday streets and architecture, sometimes in long shots. All this leads up to the heart of the song, which is staged at the Academy of Athens.
One of the most significant neo-classical buildings in the world, the Academy of Athens, modelled on a well-known temple, was built with marble in 1859. The University of Athens is located on one side of the building, and two other sides look out at the Academy gardens. The front of the building faces an avenue. The Academy has rich sculptural decoration that was created between 1870 and 1880 and is a highlight of the entrance. On both sides of the building, there are two statues placed atop pillars: Apollo, with his musical instrument (guitar), is on the left, and Athena, the defender, is on the right. In the open area in front of the building, we also have two more statues of Plato and Socrates. All these different elements serve as the backdrop and foreground for a significant portion of the song. Raj’s serenading style ensures a mode of presentation where the building's exterior appears through a range of camera angles and closeups. Raj's waltzing around the pillars allows us to see the marble texture up close, as do the low-angle shots of the pillars against the blue sky. We also have a scene with Raj dancing to a violin performance around the fountain in the Academy Garden, a moment that slowly transitions to the night and gives the Academy a different kind of majestic presence with electric lights.
The song ends with a shot of Mykonos airport, as Raj decides to drive Priya to Athens through the night since the flights have still not resumed. The moody night drive with evocative music finally fades out and then fades in to a dazzling spectacle of white houses in Athens. We have now arrived at Priya’s home, where she is supposed to get engaged. Priya confesses her feelings for Raj to her father, and the family finally relents. A quick wedding in Athens then takes us back to Bombay, where the narrative begins to move through the ups and downs of the relationship. The second song, unlike "Suno na," is staged as a romantic fantasy with no actual locational movement in the narrative. This is a form that was typical of many songs in the initial years of globalisation.
After a heated argument and conflict over something, Raj and Priya make up. This moment has an erotic charge to it, showing the two slowly moving to their bedroom. It is at this point in the narrative that the film’s most popular song, "Tauba tumhare ye ishare," takes us back to Greece. Now we see Priya framed against the white buildings that are a hallmark of many houses in Greece. The song plays with the combination of blue and white linked to limestone whitewashing practiced in the region. While the island has many churches, Panagia Paraportiani is perhaps the most well-known, and it is one of the locations used in the song. This whitewashed church is a structure from the Byzantine era, displaying a range of religious decorations that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The main entrance provides a view of the Mediterranean Sea. The whitewashed buildings against a changing texture of light and the coloured costumes offer different kinds of moods that have been exploited creatively in the song. Like Panagia Paraportiani, the Mykonos windmills are also woven into the song for their iconic value. These windmills were built in the 16th century and continued to be used for grinding wheat until the 20th century. Given that Mykonos now runs primarily on its tourism economy, the windmills are maintained for their historic value. They look the most dramatic around sunset or early morning. During the song, we also see visuals of the harbour, mountainous landscape, the beach, and water. The song ends with silhouette shots that fade out, and we are back in Bombay.
Additional Information & Links
“Regarding the production of the movie in Greece, grateful thanks were given to Mr. Antonio’s Magos, the Honourable Consulate of Greece in Mumbai and to the former Ambassador of India to Greece, Mr. A.K. Banerjee. Not mentioned in the film, but worthy of mention here, is Mr. Maghar Gandhi, the President of the Indo-Greek Cultural Association in Piraeus, who provided constant guidance and assistance, as well as generous hospitality in his house in Salamina for all actors and the production team that visited Greece.” (https://elinepa.org/chalte-chalte-a-bollywood-movie-in-greece/)
https://www.suntoursntravels.in/latest-update/santorini-hues-of-/1185
Tourism
https://elinepa.org/chalte-chalte-a-bollywood-movie-in-greece/
