Locations in Europe: France, Azerbaijan, Austria
Storyline
Star(s): Vijay Sethupathi, Sayyeshaa Saigal, Madonna Sebastian
Songs/Dance/Action Sequences: Located in Paris, Azerbaijan, and Austria.
Indian/ International Crew: Indian and international.
Language: Tamil
Line Producers: Emin Guliyev, Nariman Mammadov
Director: AR Murugadoss Producers: Vijay Sethupathi, Arun Pandian, Dr K Ganesh
Film Location Analysis
By Veena Hariharan
The song “Parrys to Paris” was shot in various locations in Paris, France
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUpp-uTGSAE
Louvre Palace – Paris
[The Louvre Palace (French: Palais du Louvre), on the right bank of the Seine in Paris, is a former royal palace situated between the Tuileries Gardens and the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois. Its origins date back to the mediaeval period, and its present structure has evolved in stages since the 16th century.]
Pont Des Arts – Paris, France
[The Pont des Arts or Passerelle des Arts is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the Seine River. It links the Institut de France and the central square (cour carrée) of the palais du Louvre, (which had been termed the "Palais des Arts" under the First Empire). The present bridge was built between 1981 and 1984 "identically" according to the plans of Louis Arretche, who had decided to reduce the number of arches from nine to seven, allowing the look of the old bridge to be preserved while realigning the new structure with the Pont Neuf.]
Pont Alexandre III – Paris, France
[Pont Alexandre III is an arch bridge that spans the Seine, connecting the Champs-Élysées quarter and the Invalides and Eiffel Tower quarter, widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in Paris. The bridge, with its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs, and winged horses at either end, was built between 1896 and 1900. It is named after Tsar Alexander III, who had concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892. His son Nicholas II laid the foundation stone in October 1896. The style of the bridge reflects that of the Grand Palais, to which it leads on the right bank.]
Place De La Concorde – Paris
[The Place de la Concorde is one of the major public squares in Paris, France. In fact, in terms of area, its 8.64 hectares (21.35 acres) make it the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. The Place was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1755 as a moat-skirted octagon between the Champs-Élysées to the west and the Tuileries Gardens to the east. The centre of the Place is occupied by a giant Egyptian obelisk decorated with hieroglyphics exalting the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II.]
Heydar Aliyev Centre – Baku, Azerbaijan
The Heydar Aliyev Centre is a 57,500 m2 (619,000 sq. ft) building complex in Baku, Azerbaijan, designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, is noted for its distinctive architecture and flowing, curved style that eschews sharp angles. The centre is named after Heydar Aliyev, the first secretary of Soviet Azerbaijan from 1969 to 1982, and president of Azerbaijan Republic from October 1993 to October 2003. The Centre houses a conference hall (auditorium), a gallery hall, and a museum. The project is intended to play an integral role in the intellectual life of the city.
Azerbaijan State Musical Theatre – Baku, Azerbaijan
The Azerbaijan State Musical Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in the Republic. The building, erected in 1883, was the first theatre building in the Middle East.]
The song sequence “Parrys to Paris” provides us with two cartographies of Paris–one classical, stylish, and spectacular–from the POV of the heroine’s choreographed dances, and the other gritty, grimy, and ordinary–from the POV of the protagonists who map the city on foot. This introductory song sequence sets the tone for the film’s zany humour and the narrative plot points. A Jacques Tati kind of character, out of tune with the suave urban world of Paris, Junga and his comic sidekick (Yogi Babu) travel from Parrys–the crowded wholesale shopping district of Chennai, dating back to colonial India, to the French capital of Paris–from “Parrys to Paris,” as the song’s chorus announces to the accompaniment of horns and guitars. What awaits them in Paris is already anticipated by quick snapshots of the iconic landmarks of the film, followed by Yazhini’s (Sayyeshaa Saigal) grand entrance as she dances down a cascade of stairs. Her dance pieces are choregraphed against the city’s iconic architectural monuments and landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower by day and night, the Louvre Palace, The Pont des Arts, Pont Alexandre III, and Place De La Concorde. Close-ups and medium long shots capture her energetic performances intercut with the scenic bridges, ancient arches, ornate facades, art nouveau lamps, numerous statues, and fountains of the classical city. Though the opera theatre sequences, their grand interiors illuminated in golden light, matched by Yazhini’s costumes in bold primary colours, were shot in Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev Centre and Azerbaijan State Musical Theatre Baku, Azerbaijan (used as location substitutes for Paris). Meanwhile, as Yazhini’s rock ballet through the city has a dream-like quality, it remains parallel and unconnected (except at the end of the sequence where they are seen walking through the corridors of the Hotel De Ville) to the gritty reality of the protagonists’ long and arduous journey by foot. As they attempt to walk to their hotel, several funny encounters and stops punctuate their journey. Junga is “kanjan” (miser), and this trait is played up to elicit audience laughs, as they stop to eat croissants saved from the flight, straight out of a polythene bag, dunking them in their coffee, or fill their plastic water bottles from the public fountain. Several long shots capture the two as they walk the city awkwardly gawking at busy intersections, as their paths criss-cross with buses, trams, and cars. Their out-of-sync-ness with the modern world of Paris is played to comedic effect—for example, in the scene where they are dressed in shirt and dhoti, attempting to enter the Hotel De Ville, a suited usher stops them, threatening that the two are not in dress code. In the next scene, we see the two protagonists in the interiors of a super mall, examining expensive Versace labels. Following this, they go through a makeover and arrive at the hotel in a tourist rickshaw (reminiscent of the rickshaws back home in Parrys), this time as stylish gangsters ready to take over the city of Paris.
Additional Information & Links
https://wherewasitshot.com/junga/
Promos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmxvMH_DDMA
